JT the Fighter
by robins princess starfire
Summary: This is a Tarsus IV story and my first Star trek story so please be gentle. i decided to try a different point of veiw then what most see so i hope it catch your interest. Watch what happens to Jim Kirk on Tarsus IV through the eyes of a friend
1. Chapter 1

A/N well guys I hope you like this first chapter.

J.T the Fighter

My name is Tom Leighton I am 10 years 6months two weeks and two days old when my world changed forever.

It was a normal peaceful day. Days so common on Tarsus IV that the thought of any thing bad happening was almost laughable.

Well when something bad finally did strike the paradise in space, that I'd lived in since I was two years old, no one was laughing….just crying.

It started for me when my dad came back from one of the science labs with a worried and somewhat fearful expression on his face.

"Mary Ann, Tom, Kelsey, meet me in the family room now!" My dad hollered his voice echoing loudly through the small three-bed room cottage so much like every other dwelling on this peaceful planet.

His voice was tighter then usual and didn't seem to hold that natural warmth it always did when he spoke to his family.

I was already in the family room so I just turned the T.V. off and turn my attention to dad as he stepped in to the room obviously tense. A second later my mom and little sister appeared from the kitchen where they had been baking cookies.

My father, who had been pacing around the room, like a caged tiger, mumbling weird half sentence about fungus, eating, gone, store, danger, Kodos, and something about the fields, glanced up as they walked in. His eye flickered down to their powdered covered aprons and suddenly flared up with uncharacteristic anger.

"What the hell do you think you doing!" He shouted out making us all jump.

My mom whose eye had gone wide at the outburst stuttered for a second before finally getting out the words out, "Making cookies, dear."

"Oh your making cookies are you?" Dad shouted, "Just harmlessly spending our limited amount of food on surgery treats! Don't you have any respect what so ever for the things we got to not go carelessly tossing them in the garbage just to satisfy your sweet tooth? You ungrateful little brats! You should only be eating when you hungry! From now on no more snacks! And any time you want something to eat you have to tell me first do you understand!"

Moms and Kelsey eyes where as big as saucers, a look I'm sure was mirrored on my face, as my dad finished his rant by suddenly grabbing the antique lap, that had been passed down in his family since the early twenty first century, and chucked it across the room and into the opposite wall.

"RICHARD!" my mother shouted as little Kelsey began to cry, "Stop! You're scaring the children!"

Mom words where UN needed because the second the sound of a shattering lap stop regret filled my fathers eyes.

"I'm sorry Mary Ann…I'm sorry kids," Dad said his voice was more tired then I had ever heard it and it looked as if he had suddenly age 20 years in the short few hour between the time he had left this morning to the time he stumped back in.

"Tom…Kelsey…kids go to your rooms. Let me and you mother talk for a bit ok." Dad asked tired sighs escaping every few words.

To shocked to arguer that it was unfair to be sent to our rooms when we had done nothing wrong I put my arm around Kelsey's should and guided her down the hallway that led to our bed rooms.

As soon as I was in my room I tossed myself on my bed the shock of the out of character way my father was acting disappearing into anger at the unfair treatment.

I didn't have time to let it brew, however, cause less then two minutes after I entered my room the door opened. Assuming it was my parents I just curled tighter into a ball and ignored it.

That is till I heard the soft sniffle. Turning I barley had time brace myself as Kelsey suddenly launched herself from the doorway and into my arms,

"Tommy, why is daddy so angry with us," Kelsey sobbed into my shoulder as I slowly set up.

"Shush Kelly, Daddy isn't mad at us. He just mad about something," even as I said it I knew that was a crappy way of comforting her.

"But what is he mad about Tommy? Why is he yelling and throwing things?" Kelsey asked her tone pleading for me, her big brother, to tell her why the fun gentle daddy they knew and loved had decided to take a vacation leaving a mean one in his place.

"I don't know Kelly. I don't know." Was all I could respond

Before Kelsey had time to ask more question the door opened and our parents stepped in.

Mom was crying into the old handkerchief that I recognized as my fathers and dad if it was possible looked even more strained then he had a few minutes before.

"Tommy…Kelly I'm sorry but we got to talk," Dad said as mom let out a hard sob and buried her face into his neck.

Kelsey almost immediately let go of me and suddenly flung her self at mom.

"Don't cry mommy, its okay whatever it is it can't be that bad can it?" Asked Kelsey staring up at mom with tear filled innocent eyes.

(I didn't know it at the time but that would be one of the last few innocent things I heard or saw for a very long time…because what mom was crying about really was that bad.)

Mom picked her heard up and looked at Kelly for second before dropping to her knees and pulling her into a tight hug.

"My precious baby ….My innocent beautiful little angel," Mom sobbed into Kelsey hair,

" How I wish this wasn't happening."

Alarmed by mother action I quickly stood up off my bed a ran forward,

"MOM! DAD! What's going on?" I asked hearing the despite plea in my voice the tone begging to know what was causing my family to act so strange.

Mom barely glanced at me before pulling me down into the arm lock she had Kelsey in.

I didn't say nothing and after a few seconds, of seeing nothing but the blue of my mother shirt as my face was pressed into her shoulder, hearing nothing but heart broken sobs, and feeling nothing but the cotton from her clothing and the violent tremors shaking my mother body, I heard my dad drop to his knees joining us on the floor and felt his strong warm arms wrap around us almost like a last way of protecting us from something unpleasant.

Then as my mom's sobs slowly began to quite down my dad explained what happened, holding us there as if he hoped to he could some how shield us from the horrors to come.

(Though none of us had ever imagined just how truly bad it was going to be in just a few short weeks from now.)

It seems that a fungus unlike any that had ever been seen before was eating away at the main fields that provided food for the colony and being so far out in space it would be weeks before Starfleet would even receive the message that Tarsus IV was in danger and weeks after that before the finally got here to drop of supplies and food rations. (Who could have ever guessed that Governor Kodos was soon going to be purposely blocking any and all messages to and from all Starfleet?) It was suspected that before then most of the food portions would be gone and over half the population starving.

People could only go thirty days with out food before they dropped all together. It would be nearly double that time before Starfleet got here.

Being so young and innocent I only understood a couple of things. 1: we would be more hungry then normal, 2: we weren't aloud to eat anything with out mommy or daddies permission, 3: we would be storing food down in the cellar below the house that dad had built for storage of spare science equipment for when ever he had to bring work home, and 4: under no circumstance where we aloud to tell where we where hiding our food not even to our friends.

We stayed in that hug long after dad finished telling us what was going on…. How long? I'm not really sure, long enough that Kelsey breathing to began to slow and even out giving up the fact that she'd fallen sleep standing up leaning into mom.

When dad and mom finally released us, dad picking Kelsey small body up into his arms to carry her sleeping form, it was with orders to go to sleep and that it was late.

I hadn't given it much thought, to tired from the sudden emotional turn of this day, but it was only 8:30 and since it was summer on this planet the sun was just starting to set lighting the end of the fields that we could see from my window a deep gold.

I was just beginning to drift off when I heard a voice speaking from my door.

I reluctantly pulled my eyes open and rolled to face the voice. My father silhouette against the dull light from the hallway was the sight that greeted my brown eyes.

With a sigh my dad stepped into the room closing the door leaving the only light in the room coming from the setting sun outside. He walked towards me slow and measured steps and so hypnotizing I almost fell asleep. Only him sitting on the edge of my bed pulled me back out of dreamland.

"Thomas…Tommy…Tom…," My dad seemed to have trouble deciding what name he wanted to called me by, "Listen son first I want to apologize for my behavior earlier it was uncalled for and I'm sorry."

I frowned my mind once again on the brink of shutting down. He was still on about that from what I could gather he had perfect reason to be upset. Still I just said, "It's okay dad I understand."

I expected him to nod his head maybe ruffle my hair or give a small weak smile and leave but he didn't.

"…Tom….I need to ask you a favor. Do you think you could do something for me?" He asked.

My mind was only a inky blackness now with only a small light of consciousness left that I used to nod my head and say, "Sure wat…that?"

"Tom…starvation can do funny things to people I need you to promise me, if something happens to your mother and I, that you'll protect Kelsey. Keep her safe can you do that for me?" Dad asked.

By now his voice was so far away I wasn't for sure if I was dreaming or not.

"Sure dad I promise," I heard myself say though I never remember thinking the words.

And then I felt the pressure lift of my bed, the lightest ruffle of my hair, a breezy "Thank you son" near my ear and then the presence of my father slowly beginning to leave.

The last things I remember after that were a whisper so low I was sure I dreamt it of "Remember son," and the smell of burned chocolate chip cookies floating down the hallway into my room from the kitchen and making my stomach rumble. 'I went to bed without dinner,' was my last thought.

But in the weeks and months to come that would be far from the last time that thought would cross my mind.

A/N okay guys I know I have two other stories to go and update but I got hit with this idea and I just had to do it. This is my first attempt at a star trek story so be gentle but know I am completely open to advice. I hope this catch your interest since I'm going at the Tarsus IV from an angle I have yet to see used though I'm sure somewhere that it has been. Any way I'll try and be quick with updates and I really hoped you liked the first chapter I spent most of the night typing and retyping it lol.


	2. Chapter 2 the Slaughter begins

A/N hey guys here's chapter two. I hope you guys don't mind but I'm going to do something different than the actual background story of Tarsus IV so please enjoy. R&R

And Thank **MirrorFlower and DarkWind **for the quick update if it wasn't for her willingness to yell at me to update I promise I probably would not have done anything with this till next week. If you really want to thank her for staying on my back you can check out her story **"Songs** **of a drunken Captain"**

Lol trust me you won't regret reading that even if you regret reading this. So once and again thank you Mirrorflower and Darkwind for your help I appreciate it so much. I really hope you like this chapter because it goes out to you.

I hope you all like R&R please and thank you!

Please let me know if this chapter is jumpy (going from one subject to another) or if it flows okay. And **defiantly let me know if I need to get to the point a bit faster please?**

Sorry guys but I just write what feels right so all of this was made up as I was going along no planning to it and I'm kind of worried that will effect the flow.

Also let me know if I'm putting to much detail and need to get to the point a little quicker. Lol those are the two things I'm most worried about so please in your reviews tell me your thought on the these subjects please and thank you 

Chapter 2 the slaughter begins

My name is Tom Leighton. I am 10 years 8 months, 3 weeks, and 4 days old. The words 'Where's Starfleet' are the most common words that pass through my head.

Two months ago the top scientists of Tarsus IV, my dad among them, discovered a fungus eating away at the only food sources on the planet. They had estimated it would eat through most of the fields in a couple of weeks. They where only half right about how fast the fungus ate.

What had been predicted to take weeks to progress to this state had only taken days. With in four days after my father explained to us the problem the fields had almost disappeared now weeks after there was little to nothing to eat.

This had hit hard and much faster then anyone had imagined and we hadn't had time to go to the store and collect food to store away. When mom finally had gotten to the store, she had came home with a black eye married to her pretty face, teeth and scratch marks littering her arms, and three broken knuckles…all for a box of cereal, a can of beef broth, a jar with a single pickle in it, and a small carton of milk. The fear of starvation had done what dad had promised and turned everyone into animals and that was just in the first few days! It was only thanks to God that people had had food before this all started. Not enough by any means but enough to keep them from getting hungry enough to start killing.

Only now with our own cabinets bare and our low food storage rapidly vanishing, despite the fact that everyone, even little 7 year old Kelsey, being careful of how much they ate, did I know that all along this paradise-turned-to-heck planet similar things were happening to other families and soon things would start getting violent.

It was the night before I learned the true meaning of "all hell broke loose".

What had become so common these last few months I barely glanced up as dad came home, from the labs, with a slam of the door and anxious whispers.

What was strange is that even when he saw me sitting there he didn't stop murmuring to himself. After his first night coming home angry enough that he broke his lamp, dad had been really careful of showing any worry around us kids.

Fear gripped my weakened and thin stomach when I took note of this observation. What ever was bothering dad, enough to loose control in front of me, had to be bad.

'How could things get worse,' I thought, as I looked dad up and down.

His shirt, that had fit him two month ago, now had too be at least two sizes to big and his pants, which had once seemed almost to tight where now being held up by an old belt and in the third hole. I knew mom, Kelsey, myself, and the rest of the Tarsus IV population weren't doing any better.

'Dang it haven't we suffered enough.' I thought to myself anger boiling in the pit of my stomach, 'where the heck is Starfleet? They should be here by now. Don't they care about as at all?'

"Tom," Dad said my name in a long agonized breath, "Go find Kelsey and take her to your room. Me and your mother will be there shortly but we got to talk grown up to grown up for a moment."

Ever since that night two months back my room had become the meeting room for family meetings instead of the family room. Not that I was complaining. After that night the vibe of my room seem to hold the last 'nice family moment' feel in it's every particle.

I nodded my head and went to the front door. The last time I had seen my sister she had been outside on her old tire swing with a wishful look on her face like she wished she could just swing back in time to a happier moment where daddy didn't come home whispering like a mad man, mommy didn't cry, and her belly was comfortably full.

As I stepped out into the front lawn my eyes immediately fell on one of the old native trees that stood just a couple of feet from the side walk. Hanging from its branches was Kelsey's old and well used tire swing empty and abandoned.

For whatever reason I felt my heart speed up and fear gripped my stomach in what was fast becoming a to familiar feeling.

I had looked outside ten minutes ago and she had still been there. Dad would have said something before I went outside if Kelsey hadn't been in her swing when he came home. I would have heard the door open if she had come in. So where was she?

I walked quickly over to the swing and laid my hand down in the seat. Still warm. She couldn't have gone far.

I swept my eyes from one end of the block to the next and sure enough I saw two figures standing staring into the windows of the recently, burned, and shut down candy store. In a fit of rage and fear a couple of weeks ago somebody had set fire to the poor shop.

With a relieved sigh I identified the black hair and tiny build of my sister. I set a pace and walked as quickly and as calmly as I could over to them. As I got closer I recognized the person she was standing with.

It was a man that, if I had to take a ten year olds best guess, was probably early to mid thirty's with greasy brown hair and hard hazel eyes. He was one of governor Kodos armed guards that had been posted to our block after the first week to keep people from destroying everything in a panic.

The closer I got the more apparent it was that the man wasn't looking in the store window in hope of seeing a sweet treat but rather was looking at Kelsey. There was a look in his eye that I couldn't place but on pure instinct I knew it wasn't a good look. Suddenly the man reached and stroked Kelsey's midnight locks and then grabbed her arm. A shiver ran up my spine and I knew strait away I needed to get Kelsey out of the mans sight. I picked up the pace until I was in a dead run.

"Kelsey!" I called at her hoping that my voice would be enough to get the mans interest off of my sister.

They both turned to look at me as I stopped next to them; the man let go of Kelsey's arm.

Breathing hard and watching the man warily I told Kelsey about dad wanting to talk to us. Kelsey who was looking at the man with a startled and fearful look just nodded and stepped away from the man and grabbed my hand.

For a moment though I couldn't move; I locked eyes with the man. And the ice ball that had taken up residence in my stomach grew. Being ten I was starting to recognize good people from bad and I knew that this guy was not good news. The look in his eyes made fear seep into my stomach again even as the guy smiled at us in a way that to anyone else would have looked warm and amused but instead to me just looked evil.

"Well then I guess you better hustle along then kids," The guy said his voice was smooth and friendly but I could detect a current of annoyance under the casual words.

With a nod I turned and tugged Kelsey along faster then I probably should have, her being so much smaller then I am, I nearly drug her off her feet in my haste to get her away from the man. It wasn't till we were inside with the door closed that I relaxed. Kelsey was now safe away from the mans gaze.

Kelsey in true little kid fashion seemed to have forgotten all about the man now and headed for my room. I followed making a mental note to tell dad about the man tomorrow.

When Kelsey and I walked into my room my parents where already in there. Mom sitting next to dad in one of the two fold up chairs that they always brought with them when ever we where going to have a particularly long talk. Kelsey hopped up to sit on my bed but I froze in the doorway.

My family…. who had been so health barely two months ago looked ragged and to thin for their own good. Mom who had always been so small anyway was constantly tugging the collar of her shirt up a bit and her pants where being held up by a belt in the adjusted to its smallest size. And Kelsey's jeans where sagging so low on her tiny legs the only thing covering the top of her underwear was the long shirt that was acting almost like a dress. Everyone was a bit paler and their face sunk in just enough for me to see their cheek bones beginning to stretch the skin and the beginning of dark rings around their eye where showing.

I glanced in the mirror and beside my door. My own clothing was sagging abit though the shorts I wore where draw string and didn't hang off my waist like dads, moms, and Kelsey's did. But my shirt was just as baggy sliding down to expose one of my shoulders and underneath the fabric I could see the ladder of my rib cage becoming more and more noticeable. My face was as pale as theirs with the same darkness around the eyes.

The words 'where's Starfleet,' once again flittered through my mind. I tried to swallow the sudden lump in my throat as I finally moved and took my place next to Kelsey on the bed.

Almost immediately Kelsey snuggled up against me like she use to when we where younger and mom and dad would sit us down for a bed time story and like then I wrapped my arm around her waist and tried as hard as possible to ignore the way her hips seemed to stab my thigh.

"Kids," dad started, "Governor Kodos dropped by the lab to day…It seems like its going to take Starfleet abit longer then we thought to get here. It seems the ships they sent out where attacked by a couple of Klingon war ship…."

Dad trailed of for a second but I hardly noticed. Inside my head rage was burning its way through my veins. Tarsus needed food now even a four year old could see that! I silently cursed the Klingons to a fiery death.

"But things should be okay now," Dad said suddenly his words catching my attention again, "Governor Kodos said he has a plan to make things a bit easier on every one and says he'll have it started tomorrow." Dad's voice sounded cheerful for the first time in over two months but I detected the slightest note of apprehension in his voice.

'Why,' I thought to myself, 'if Kodos found a way to help everyone wouldn't that be a good thing.'

"In fact," mom broke in, 'Kodos has invited us to join him and 200 more guest tomorrow in the square to see how he's going to solve the problem!" Mom's voice, unlike dads didn't have the current of apprehension in it. She was happy and for the first time in what felt like forever a genuine smile graced mom's face and I could practically feel the excitement and joy rolling off of her.

Mom's excitement seemed to light Kelsey's flame again because suddenly she leaped out of my arms with a happy squeal and wrapped her arms around our parents neck forcing them to bend down and wrap one arm each around her as she started bouncing to take a bit of strain of their necks.

For a second I felt my own grin split my face and almost copied Kelsey. Then I saw the look in my dad's eyes. It was a look of fear and suspension and it wiped the grin off my face in a second. Something was wrong with dad and I couldn't figure out what. I mean here we where getting the best news we had heard in a long time and dad seemed like he didn't trust it.

The meeting only lasted a few minutes after that and then mom and dad ordered Kelsey and me to bed. By that time I had put my thoughts about the look in dads eye away and my happiness had returned. I crawled into bed with a grin for the first time in so long that my cheek muscle hurt from the action. I fell asleep soon after the smile never leaving my face.

When I woke up it was still dark out side. Glancing at the clock by my bed it was 12:30 a.m. For the last two months this had become normal for us all to be waken up by hunger pains in the middle of the night. Except it wasn't hunger pains that woke me up tonight.

With irritated grumble that my dreams, that had been my only escape lately, had been interrupted I pulled myself out of bed and headed for the bathroom. On my way there I remembered the announcement mom and dad had made to us a couple hours ago and suddenly I wasn't grumbling any more but instead having to hold back whistling those annoyingly happy tunes.

On the way back however I heard my parents in their room. They where talking in low whisper and for a sec I considered just walking back to my room but curiosity made me walk over to their door, put my ear on it and listen in.

"Really Richard I don't see why your so worried. I mean this is the best news ever. Kodos found a way to help us and yet you acting like you facing a rampaging bull with only pin whistle. Why?" Moms voice sounded out cheerfully but puzzled.

I frowned as memories of the look in his father's eyes danced around in his head.

'Yeah why,' I thought to myself

"I don't know Mary Ann. I just have this bad feeling that's all. When the governor dropped by today he asked if we had any solutions to fix the fungus problem but when we said we didn't…. he gave us this weird assessing look and then said he had a way to fix the problem then turned and walked out. I don't know why but I felt more like I was being condemned rather then reassured. Then later when I went to leave he stopped me and told me he wanted me there tomorrow to see what he was going to do and then told me to bring my family. The look in his eye when he looked at me…it was like he thought he was better than me…better than my family. He looked at me…like I was a …bug that needed squishing." Dad said his voice sounded strained and concern was evident.

I felt my frown deepen. I had never heard dad say things like that and I certainly had never heard that tone in his voice. Fear once again laid claim to my body.

"Oh honey its probably is just stress on both your parts I'm sure he didn't actually mean to come across that way." Moms reassured him her voice soothing and gentle.

"Yeah maybe." from dads tone I could tell he didn't believe her.

"Tommy." A voice behind me made me jump.

I turned to find Kelsey in her light pink P.J. with blue roses at the hem of her shirt clutching her teddy bear that she so fondly named Tom-Tom after her big brother and staring at me with big Emerald green saucers, that she had inherited from mom.

"What are you doing?" she asked her voice curious but thankfully quite.

"Nothing," I said straightening up. Thankfully Kelsey seemed to not be in the mood to press and let it go.

"Tommy can me and Tom-Tom sleep in you room we had a nightmare?" Kelsey voice, at the mention of her nightmare, quivered a bit with fear.

I let a fond smile tug the corners of my lips up but my mind was to preoccupied with what I just heard to really smile.

"Sure Kelly," I said swinging my arm around her shoulder and guiding her to my room.

When we got in there I let her crawl in first to lay next to the wall then followed. As I laid down I felt exhaustion pulling at my eyelids. I was just about to fall asleep again when I heard Kelsey say something

Reluctantly I pulled my eyelids apart and rolled over to look at her.

"I'm sorry Kelly. What was that?" I asked and goodness I could hear the tiredness in my own voice. Couldn't she just shut up and quite fidgeting.

"I said do you think Kodos really can help us?" Kelsey repeated

I sighed but her voice was so filled with hope that I could not destroy it by telling her what dad had said.

"Yeah Kelly I do. Now go to sleep please," I said and winced I hadn't meant to let my annoyance show.

Guilt welled up in me but a second I was to tired to acknowledge it.

I was just about asleep again when something else woke me up. Kelsey had leaned over and very gently kissed my cheek.

"Thank you big brother for letting me stay the night in here…that dream really scared me." I heard Kelsey whisper

Now I really felt guilty. Slowly I reached out UN till I found her hand grasping it I gave it her reassuring squeeze. When I felt her squeeze my hand back I allowed myself to fall asleep again, for the second time that night with a smile on my face.

My name is Tom Leighton I am 10 years 8 months 3 weeks and 5 days old

When I woke up again it was to daylight and Kelsey shaking my shoulder.

"Mommy said its time to wake up and get ready to go to the square," Kelsey said her excitement apparent to even my half asleep brain.

I groaned but nodded and I felt her body pressure leave the bed and heard her skip out of the room.

The sound of her so happy was enough to drag me out bed and slowly I walked over to my closet. Digging around for a second I found my favorite pair of jeans then quickly as excitement began to fill my every move walked over to my dresser and grabbed the t-shirt with my favorite bands logo on it.

I quickly put them on sighing, as I had to grab a belt to hold up my pant and had to tug the shoulder of my shirt back up from where it had slid down. The only thing that fit me any more was my sneakers. I pushed the thoughts from I head feeling confident that today would change everything and I could finally start regaining the weight I had lost.

"Tom lets go! We are going to be late!" Dad yelled down the hallway.

Turning to look in the mirror I raked my hands through my hair real fast to make is lay down a bit more and then prayed that I wouldn't see HER there because I looked like crap.

With that I rushed out my bedroom door and met my parents and Kelsey by the front door.

The first thing I noticed when I got there was Dad was as pale as a sheet and he wouldn't stop fidgeting.

Last night came back to me in a rush and I knew dad's fears had only intensified sense then. Uncomfortable with seeing my dad who had always seemed so strong look like he was about to bolt towards the mountains I turned my attention to mom and Kelsey both of whom where glowing more then the had in a very long time.

The only thing wrong was Kelsey kept reaching up to rub her stomach and from where I stood I could hear her stomach rumbling no dinner last night and no breakfast this morning meant we had to be incredible low on food.

'Kodos, you better have a good plan,' I thought to myself as I tried to ignore my own complaining stomach and reached forward to give Kelly shoulder a reassuring pat.

"Lets go," said Mom losing her glow a little as she looked sadly at her hungry children.

With that we left mom putting and hand on both Kelsey's and my shoulder to guide us out and dad touching the small of moms back to guide her through the door.

We where mostly quite on the way there, only Kelsey breaking the silence to ask a question to hum a tune, each lost in our own thoughts.

When reached the square I felt my breath catch. There where so many people there! I mean mom had told us there would be at least 200 but it looked more like 2000! And they were all so big!

It looked like Kelsey and I where the only children there and that most of the family that didn't have kids had been invited. However my theory that me and Kelsey the children who had the honor of knowing first what Kodos planned to do to fix the famine was shot to pieces as Kelsey tugged on his hand.

"Who's that?" She asked pointing off into the direction of courthouse wall curiosity and awe fighting for dominance in her voice.

Huh I hadn't realized that I could name everyone in this square until Kelsey pointed out the one that I couldn't.

Turning I looked in the direction she was pointed and almost immediately my eyes landed on a boy just a little older than I. It was hard to miss him he was the only one in the crowd that looked bored instead of curious or excited.

'He's also the skinniest,' I noted.

His blonde hair sat in ruffled mess. Like he had been constantly running his fingers through the golden locks. He wore faded blue jeans that where tied around his waist with a rope a black shirt that like ever else sagged a little and a brown leather jacket that looked like one you'd wear when riding a motorcycle. The jacket was the thing that was the baggiest on him and looked more like it belonged on an adult than a young adolescent.

But out of all of these things it was his eyes that caught and held my attention. They had to be the bluest blue eyes I had ever seen in my life. As cheesy as it sounds it reminded me of the blue skies I had seen of earth. (On tarsus the sky was purpler) they where pretty eyes that's for sure and they flickered around taking in every thing from where he leaned against the brick wall with a warm kind if cool calm. The words "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't important" written clear as day in those eyes.

Suddenly his gaze settled on something and I saw the first thing besides boredom to enter the boy's eyes…suspension? Curious I followed his gaze and found myself looking at a long line of Kodos men all holding phaser rifles. For a second I felt fear grip me again but logic pushed it away.

'Maybe with so many people Kodos is just being careful,' I thought shrugging my shoulders.

"No idea," said finally in response to Kelsey's question.

"Well he's cute," Kelsey said much to my surprise.

I didn't really know whether I should snort, laugh or groan.

"You're seven you shouldn't think anything but puppies and kittens are cute," Dad broken in amusement ranging clear along with tension.

I glanced at him for a sec then glanced at Kelsey laughing as I traced her gaze back to ruff looking boy. As my gaze resettled on the boy a sudden feeling of safety overcame me.

Confused I looked hard at the boy I didn't know why but suddenly I felt like this boy was important that he would keep Kelsey and me safe.

'But why would he do that? It isn't his job that's what mom and dad are for.' I thought to myself thoroughly confused as to why I felt a connection to this mysterious boy.

Suddenly as if boy felt my gaze on him he glanced Kelsey's and my way. His eyes settled on Kelsey for a second, making her giggle and blush much to my amusement, and then flickered up to catch my eye.

For along moment we just stared at each other. I felt like we were talking without either of us really knowing what we were saying. Then he nodded his head in greeting and went back to looking around the bored expression reentering his eyes. I glanced down at Kelsey who glanced up at me, smiling.

"I think I'm going to go talk to him," Kelsey said once again surprising me though I don't really know Kelsey had never been a shy person and if she wants to talk to someone she'd go up and talk to them.

"You'd better stay…" The rest of my sentence died in my throat as she took off in the boy's direction. I heard my parent's chuckle behind them and shot them a grin over my shoulder.

Curious, plus for some Unknown reason feeling the need to keep Kelsey in my sight, I followed. When we reached the boy he glanced at as and nodded again in greeting.

I felt embarrassed for coming over here…I didn't even know the guy! But for some reason now that I was here I couldn't find it in myself to leave so I did the only thing I could do. I drew myself up to my full height and nodded back my own greeting. Of course pulling myself up to my full height was a waste of time because…

"Your cute!" Kelsey said by way of greeting.

I felt my shoulders and jaw drop in shock that she had said that as bluntly as she did. I was once again conflicted this time I didn't know whether to blush in embarrassment over my sister's actions or laugh my butt off.

Surprise briefly flittered across the boys face before settling into a small friendly grin. Kneeling in front Kelsey he gave a charming smile that made her blush.

"Is that so? Well that's a pretty big complement coming from someone as pretty as your self." The boys voice was soft, gentle, and filled with warm amusement.

Kelsey giggled again her face turning pink.

"And who is this? Your boyfriend?" The kid asked switching his attention to me for a sec before looking back at Kelsey. I knew the kid was joking but that didn't stop me from joining in saying Kelsey "Bluh"

"He's my brother duh," Kelsey said giggling and reaching out to smack the boy's arm.

The boy chuckled and shot me a grin most people did when ever the met Kelsey. It was the grin that said, "Your little sister is so cute" I shot him my own grin and surprised myself when I finally used my vocal cords.

"So you got a name?" I asked.

The kid glanced at me again and went to answer but then seemed to think better of it. He looked to be thinking for a second staring at the ground biting his lip in concentration.

"What did you forget your own name," Kelsey teased.

The kid sent her a mock glare before finally seeming to decided what to say.

"No I didn't thank you very much," his voice and eyes where teasing as he sent a playful pout/glare at Kelsey, "Call me J.T."

I nodded. It fit after all but even as I nodded I had a feeling that wasn't really his name.

"I'm Tom Leighton and this is my little sister Kelsey," I said before Kelsey got the chance. She sent me a glare. But I ignored it. For a moment J.T. glanced between us.

"I can tell you're related," He finally said.

I raised an eyebrow at that. It wasn't often I heard that most didn't believe Kelsey and I where so closely related. We looked nothing alike really. While I had gotten my moms brown hair and my dad brown eyes Kelsey had dads black shoe polish hair and moms bright green eyes.

"Really?" Kelsey Asked excitedly for reasons beyond me she had always been disappointed when someone said they looked nothing alike. Mom had once told me it was because Kelsey looked up to me and she wanted everyone to know that they where related.

"Yeah. I mean none of your major characteristic are not the same but you have the same nose, and you smile exactly the same way," J.T. said with a laugh.

As Kelsey's face lit up like Christmas had come early I sent J.T. a thankful smile. He returned it.

'I think I could like this kid,' I thought to myself.

Suddenly as I watched J.T. I saw his eyes once again flicker to the guards something that now that I thought about he had been doing through out the entire conversation. Each time he glanced at them I would see the same guarded suspension and wariness enter his eyes.

As he glanced back towards us. I noticed for the first time that a new emotion enter his eyes… protectiveness? Why would he feel protective of us we had just met and there was no danger. (Oh if only I had known that J.T. was just like that guarding and protective of all those that came into his care and if only I knew that that would be far FAR from the last time I would ever see that look in his eye)

Suddenly J.T. glanced over my shoulder.

"Hey if those are your parents I think they want you," J.T. said standing up again.

Turning to see for myself I found my parents motion for Kelsey and I to come back over. Feeling a little sad that I had to leave a new friend so soon.

"Yeah that's them, come on Kelsey I think the ceremony is going to start." I said trying to ignore the sadness I felt I had no idea why but there was just something about this kid that said, "I'm your friend and your safe with me."

"Awww but I want to stay with J.T.," Kelsey whined.

I was about to protest when J.T. knelt back down.

"Hey now, we'll meet again but for now you should probably go back to your parents," He said his voice was impossibly gentle more like somebody talking to their child instead of a girl they just met.

Despite his attempts tears filled Kelsey's eyes.

"I don't want to leave," Kelsey sniffled.

I expected irritation or annoyance to cross J.T. face but instead only an amused smile pulled at his lips.

Suddenly he snapped his fingers making both Kelsey and I jump.

"I got it!" J.T. said standing up and digging in his pocket for a second.

After a moment he found what he was looking for and kneeled down again.

"I knew there was a reason I picked this on my way here," He said as he opened his hand to revealing flower that surprisingly wasn't as bent up as it should have been considering where it was being held.

It was one of the Native flowers that resembled and earths lily except the it was a deep sapphire blue with hot pink stripes running horizontally along each of the petals and the stem was a bright gold. Any other year these were common flowers now though it was probably the last beautiful vegetation in all of Tarsus IV.

Ironically it was also Kelsey favorite flower.

Vegetation I knew was low right now and I should have been mad that J.T. had picked it but as Kelsey's eyes lit up in wonder and happiness I couldn't find it in my heart to be mad at J.T.

With a laugh J.T. brushed Kelsey hair behind her ear and reached up and tucked the flower behind her ear and into her hair sealing it there safely.

"Why don't you take this to remember me by," J.T. Said, " Its such a pretty flower and it looks good in your dark hair. A pretty flower for an even prettier flower,"

His wink made Kelsey turn a bright red that I had never seen before in my life and despite myself I could not help but chuckle. Kelsey shot me a glare but J.T. just smiled at me.

"Now will you go back over to your parents?" J.T. asked, "I promise we'll meet again. You two are to much fun for me to stay away long,"

Kelsey looked like she was about to protest but to my surprise a stern fatherly look came into J.T. eyes and Kelsey relented.

J.T. gave her a kind smile a stood up. The second he was well balanced on his feet Kelsey tackled him hugging his waist tightly. Surprise once again made its way on to J.T. face before he slowly put his arms around her to return the hug. After a second though he pulled back and smiled.

"Go on you've kept you parents waiting long enough," J.T. Said his voice gentle and parental.

Kelsey nodded but before she turned to leave she motioned with her finger for him to bend down again. With surprising patience he did.

The second he was back down to her level Kelsey quickly kissed his cheek and before either J.T. or I could blink in shock she turned around and ran. I only caught sight of her scarlet face because I was looking for it.

Slowly both of us regained our senses and I closed my jaw. J.T. stood up slowly then cast a glance my way.

"She sure is a brave little one isn't she," J.T. voice rang with amusement.

"You have no idea," I laughed

"Well you better get back over there, too." J.T. Said and for a second I thought I saw a flash of the sadness I felt flicker in his earth sky blue eyes.

"Yeah I better," I said. I didn't leave I was trying to figure out how to say good-bye but the words and a simple wave didn't seem appropriate and I certainly could not hug or kiss his cheek good bye!

So I settled for what I saw my dad do when he was greeting or saying good-bye to friends I stuck my hand out. I saw amusement once again shining clear as day in the blue eyes of J.T as he. Reached out and grasped my hand in a firm but friendly handshake.

I was about to let go and head back to my parents when suddenly the intercoms buzzed on.

_The revolution is successful. But survival depends on drastic measures. Your continued existence represents a threat to the well being of society. Your lives mean slow death to the more valued members of the colony. Therefore, I have no alternative but to sentence you to death. Your execution is so ordered, signed Kodos, Governor of Tarsus IV._

J.T.'s hand froze in mine and I felt my mind go blank as suddenly the guards around us lifted their phaser rifles and fired.

Screams irrupted from the crowd and suddenly people where stampeding around us. Phaser shots went flying past us and some people dropping never to get back up again.

J.T. grabbed my shoulder wrist and started dragging me towards the ally close to where we are.

Suddenly the shock wore off and pictures my parents and Kelsey flashed through my mind.

"Let me go! I have to find my parents and Kelly," I shouted as I struggled against J.T. surprisingly strong grip for such a malnourished kid.

"I'll find them," J.T. shouted over the racket as he jerked me out of the way of a Phaser blast and shoved me into the ally, "Run I'll find them! GO!"

Fear gripped every part of me and I did the only thing I could… I followed orders and ran trusting some guy I just met to stay alive and bring my family back to me. I didn't glance back because if I did I wouldn't be able to run away.

Then suddenly, halfway out of the ally, like slow motion above all the screams and phaser discharges another scream rose out in the air. It made my blood run cold because I knew that scream.

For a second I considered running and saving my own hide but then Kelsey sweet innocent face flashed in my mind and I didn't have a choice anymore she was my sister and she need my help.

I suddenly did an about face and found myself running back towards the Chaos never feeling the shoulder bump mine as a few lucky people found the one exit not surrounded by guards.

I didn't expect to find Kelsey so easily but there at the edge of the crowd farthest away from me she stood there fear etched on to her face. I started running towards her dodging people or knocking them down my only thought was to get to Kelsey.

I was too late a guard had spotted her before I had and had already taken aim. I screamed. What I screamed? I don't know. I just felt it tear through my throat as I shoved through the people like water trying to get to my sister. I expected to see her drop at any second and gaping hole in her chest.

For one second there was that danger the next second there was J.T.

(I still swear to this day the kid popped out then air.) He grabbed Kelsey up into his arms and ran the phaser fire so close I saw a scorch mark appear on the back of J.T. Brown leather Jacket. J.T. didn't seem to notice just how close he came to be getting killed.

I felt my legs go watery in relief. They we're heading towards the ally and they had better hurry cause the guards had noticed how people we're getting out and where not shooting their way towards it to block it.

I tried to follow but almost immediately I was cut off by people run and shoving each other.

I saw one woman her swollen belly showing she was pregnant and with a start I recognized her as my science teacher. Mrs. Crawford. I saw her trip over one of the to many bodies,

People didn't stop from here I could hear the sounds of bones crunching and then a blood curdling scream cut through the air and then stony silence.

I never saw Mrs. Crawford get up.

But as sick as all that would make me feel later for this one instant I was concerned only about getting myself out of there.

I glanced back up just in time to see J.T. Shove Kelsey into the ally. For whatever reason J.T. turned to look back.

Even from across the courtyard I could see his eyes shining bright with horror, fear, but also determination that said he wasn't going to go down without a fight. He was about to turn and for a cold second I realized that he thought I was up ahead. Which meant he would unintentional leave me here to die.

'No,' I mentally screamed at him, 'I'm not ahead! Please don't leave me!"

Before he had fully turned around to run for safety, I caught his eye.

Exasperation and fear, which I later realized was directed towards me, shined in his to blue eyes.

And for one horrid second I thought he might just turn and leave anyway because heck he had already tried to save my butt and like an idiot I had come back. (This was my first lesson to never doubt J.T.)

The kid yelled over his shoulder presumably at Kelsey and then took of running in my direction. I felt relief once again crash over me as I fought through the rapidly thinning but still thick crowd towards the one person I hoped could save me.

20 feet from him. Come on I had to get to him

15 feet and closing with surprising speed. Fear lending us both strength in our jelly like legs

10 feet

I saw the rifle rise in the corner of my left eye.

5 feet

J.T. took a flying leap and tackled me.

He was only half quick enough. The phaser fired. J.T.'s body hit mine. My head snapped to the right opening up the left side of face.

Then searing harsh pain wiped all other thoughts from my mind. Dimly I felt my back hit something soft but wet. The ground covered in blood I would later realize.

I heard a voice screaming but I couldn't understand what it was saying. The only thing I understood was the searing bursting pain coming from the left side of my face and even more precise coming from my eye.

I felt like I was being raised. And then moving very quickly.

'Yes,' I thought as blackness began to come over mind and the pain began to ebb, 'Yes angel take me away from this planet to the pearly gates and make this pain go away.'

My vision cleared one more time before darkness came over me. And I could see blurs of movement that I was sure was the sky and the angel was carrying me towards it.

The last conscious thought I had was, 'My angel has pretty blue eyes.'

Then the world went dark and I knew no more.

A/N

Well guys if you haven't read this author's note above this is basically the same thing. Let me know if you liked this chapter or if it was a bit jumpy (jumping from one subject to another) also let me know if I put to much detail into this and need to kind of move things along. Lol basically R&R. I hoped you guys liked it I did my best to make it worth the wait. My mom betta this chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**: Wow guys I am so sorry for the long wait! I've been having a bit of trouble getting this chapter out onto paper and I hope you can forgive me. Even more so I hope this chapter makes up for long wait. Here's a question why is it so easy to write stories at… 3:20 a.m.? it seems people write best when it's dark outside so does anyone have a reason for it?

**Well guys I have news for you…. I will not be updating again until I get at least 3 reviews for this chapter. Come on guys as nice as it is to be put on alerts it's even nice to get reviews! And I think asking for 3 reviews is extremely fair. I apparently suck at writing intense action scene as I only got one review for the last chapter. **

**Because of that I'm going to say just because I asked for no flames doesn't mean I'm not open to advice. If you see something I can do to make this story better then tell me! Please? That's what fan fiction is for is so you can read stories and either tell the author you like it or give constructive ****Criticism****. **

**So you've heard my deal if I don't get at least 3 reviews I am not updating. I want you guys to concentrate on two things when your reading this story. **

**1: is it jumpy and moving from one subject to the next? **

**2: do I need to get the point faster? **

**You guys have my word that if you give me 3 reviews I will update so fast it'll make your heads spin! **

**Now on another note thank you Mirrorflower and Darkwind you where the only one to review last chapter so this chapter once again goes out to you for being the only one to tell me what you thought of this chapter. **

**Incase you guys saw my last chapter I want to remind you to go check out Mirrorflower and Darkwind story though the name has been change it is now called "Songs of An" once again even if you absolutely HATE my story you'll LOVE the stories written by Mirrorflower and Darkwind **

**NOW ON WITH THE STORY!**

Chapter 3

My name is Tom Leighton I am ten years and I don't know how many months, weeks, or days old.

I groaned, or tried to, it came out as more of a dry gurgle sound. My senses where slowly coming back to me. I could feel something softly caressing my skin.

A breeze? I was out side. I could hear the small crackling of a nearby fire, and could feel the heat on my right side, as well as two voices one was vaguely familiar and the other I felt positive I should know. I could smell a musty old moldy plant smell as well the smell of some canned tuna.

At that my stomach growled voicing it deep upset at not being feed.

Where was I? What's going on? Why was I so hungry? And why was I outside and not in my bed at home where I was supposed to be? Where were my parents?

The last thing I remember was an…angel with pretty blue eyes. Was I dead? …I needed answer.

And with that thought in my mind I slowly allowed my eyes to flutter open or at least I think both came open. I couldn't feel anything at all on the left side of my face, and my vision was so blurry it was hard to tell if I was looking out of one eye or two. But I could see to figures standing above me. Their faces I couldn't make out but for some reason they where both comforting.

It took a couple of minutes for my vision to clear but when it did it was greeted by looking in to two sets of deeply concerned eyes.

One pair of eyes where a deep green like the leaves on that earth fruit, a strawberry, that mom had brought home years ago. They where eyes that I recognized…and for some reason felt all too relieved to see.

"Kelsey," I said my voice scratchy and unreal.

I heard a slight whimper coming from her and then something was strangling my hand. It took me second to realize it was being gripped by Kelsey.

Those eyes belonged to Kelsey Maria Leighton my 7-year-old sister. With that concluded I shifted my position a bit to get a better look at the other pair of eyes.

They where a color so blue that eyes didn't have a right to be that blue. They where like the earth sky I had seen in so many pictures and had vague memories of seeing myself when I was younger.

They where the eyes that had been haunting my dreams for what felt like forever. They where the eyes of my angel that had been taking me to heavens gates or so I thought. They where…. the eyes of J.T.!

Suddenly it all came rushing back. Getting dressed…. the square… meeting J.T. …. A flower…. a kiss… the intercoms buzzing on… the guards firing…people running for their lives…. Kelsey in trouble… Mrs. Crawford…and then searing…. agonizing pain.

It came back in such clear detail that I felt the adrenaline, fear wash back over me clenching my starved stomach so hard I felt sure I would have puked had their been anything to heave up.

In a flash I shot it to a sitting passion and on instinct I whipped my head to the right to look at Kelly and J.T.

That was a BIG mistake!

Pain like nothing I had ever felt exploded on the left side of face. I felt an agonized scream tear through my throat and fell back my arms coving my face in a desperate attempt to stop the pain. I trashed about like a fish out of water pain knocking out all common sense.

"TOM! TOM! YOU GOT TO STOP YOU JUST GOING TO MAKE IT WORSE. YOU'VE GOT TO STOP BEFORE YOU RIP THE BANGAGES OFF," J.T. voice sounded miles away but when I felt two pairs of hand come to rest on me both warm and comforting it brought enough sense back to my pain filled head to halt my moving.

It took a moment, a moment that felt like a lifetime to me, but finally the pain winded down to a dull ache.

My breathing was sallow and quick but thankfully the action wasn't pain full.

"Mom? Dad?" My voice was ruff and from the sore dry feeling in my throat I knew it had been a while since it had been used.

I looked around, shifting my body around to let me look around, which was more then my head was allowing right now, expecting to see them near the fire probably asleep since they weren't by my side but a broken sob drew my attention back to Kelsey and J.T. before my eye could do a full look around the clearing we set in.

Kelsey had let got of my hand and now had J.T. shirt balled up in her fist her head pressed into his shoulder and tiny shoulder, tinier then even I remember them, racked with sobs. J.T. had his arms around her in a comforting almost fatherly hug.

I caught his eye and I saw him read the question in my eye. Then slowly he shook his head. At what? Where were Kelsey's and my parents? Fear gripped me and as I watched J.T. slowly shake his head and tighten his hold on Kelsey realization hit me like starship to the head.

I felt everything turn to ice and suddenly it felt like the ground under my back lurched and every thing spun.

"NO…" I whispered, "No it can't be true."

'No,' echoed through my head as crushing reality hit.

For a second overwhelming grief weighed heavily on my heart disconnecting me from everything but the emotional pain that made the earlier physical pain bow its head in shame.

But before I could loose my self to grief… Kelsey's sobs broke through and I knew my time to grieve would have to wait.

J.T. was comforting MY sister and it was time now more then ever that she need her big brother.

So pushing my own grief aside I set back up slowly being mindful not to move my head a whole lot.

"Kelsey," I said my voice echoed in my own mind and winced at how bleak it sounded.

Was that really my voice?

Kelsey turned to look at me her tear filled eyes hurting my heart in a way I never knew was possible. I spread my arms a bit in a welcoming jester.

With a broken sob Kelsey pushed away from J.T. and flung herself into my arms her face digging to the junction between my shoulder and neck. Her hand gripping the baggy shirt I wore in a tight fist.

Her sobs were racking her body so painfully hard I was surprised that it hadn't just caved in on her yet.

The quick movement jostled my head quit a bit but I never took notice of the pain in the left side of face to distracted at the pain caused from not being able to take away my sister pain. I was about too bury my face into Kelsey tangled black locks when a sudden movement caught my eye.

J.T. had stood up as was now walking away from us into the trees. For a second I thought he meant to leave us here and fear gripped every fiber of my being. There was no way we would survive on our own.

As if sensing my thoughts J.T. turned around.

For a second all we did was stare at each other each trying to figure the other out. And then looking deep into J.T. eyes I saw a promise in their blue depths. A promise… to come back.

So with a nod I turned my attention back to my weeping sister and started whispering in her ear. I heard J.T. leave but right now only Kelly mattered.

And then suddenly I understood his reason for leaving. He knew right now Kelsey need me and…. at the moment I need her. He was giving us both times to grieve for our parents in private.

So I continued whispering in Kelsey's ear never really knowing what I was saying just trusting my mouth to say what it needed to right now. I don't know how long we set there.

It might have been minute's…hour's…days… or even centuries but Kelsey eventually quieted down and from her slow breathing I knew she had fallen asleep.

Slowly I shifted, her trying my hardest not to jostle her, until she was lying, as comfortably as I could get her on this cold hard ground, her head resting on a old folded up t-shirt that I guess my head had been resting on before.

Looking down I spotted a familiar brown leather jacket that they must have used to cover me up. Picking it up I put it gently around Kelsey body trying to ignore the fact that it almost seemed to swallow her.

Gulping back emotions that welled up in me as I looked down at my sister, her face even in sleep sad and etched with worry no 7 (or 10 year old for that matter) should ever be feeling, I tucked the jacket tightly around her like I had seen mom do oh so long ago.

"She's a good kid," J.T. voice behind me sounded.

But I didn't jump right now I was sure not even the entire planet of Tarsus IV splitting in half couldn't scare me.

I turned and fixed my gaze on him. He was leaning against an old dead native tree. I gave him a hollowed out smile.

"To good to be going though all this shit," I said surprising myself.

I never cursed. I had once said a bad word in front of my parents and had been ground for months effectively teaching me that cursing was bad. But as bad as cursing was however and as much as my parents frowned upon it I couldn't bring myself to be ashamed of saying it…. that is till.

"You really shouldn't say words like that its not good and no kid you age should even know what it means," J.T. said his voice was stern and disapproval rang clear.

For a second I was about to tell J.T. to take a hike and that I could say anything that I dang well pleased. But then I looked into his eyes.

Like his voice disapproval was clear for all to see but that isn't what stopped me. What stopped me was the fatherly look in his eye, it should have made me mad this kid was barely two years older then me he wasn't my father and he shouldn't be trying to take over as him, but all it did was make me ashamed of the slip up. For some reason disappointing this kid felt bad…. almost like disappointing dad but…. strangely more so.

"Your right I'm sorry," I said my voice still scratchy as I bowed my head for a moment in apology.

When I glanced up it was to see a small frown on his face and a contemplating look expressed in his eyes.

"Its okay. Just don't do it again. Can you stand or walk any," He asked.

The question floored me for a second. But with a shrug I tried it.

I pushed slowly to my feet I managed to bring myself up to full height and take one step before I pitched forward. My legs felt extremely week and my head spun at the sudden change of pressure. I expected to hit the ground but before I had even fallen a full foot a pair of arms shot out and caught me.

Sadly even my light wait was enough to almost take out J.T. own skinny body. For a second we stumbled around the injured side of my head smacking into J.T. shoulder causing pain to shoot through me again. I let out pained yelp that seemed to lend J.T. the strength to regain his balance there by my balance.

"Crap that was a bad idea," I heard J.T. say but the pain was to much of a distraction to really make sense of the words let alone form a response, "Here sit here."

I felt myself being dragged a couple a steps and then slowly lowered into a sitting position. As the pain once again left and the tears slowly cleared from my eye I noticed J.T. had set me on a log in front of a fire.

"You okay," J.T. asked his voice out of breath as a result from our earlier struggle.

I nodded and for a while we sat in silence both catching our breath.

"How long was I out," I said glancing back over to where Kelsey slept.

"About a week," J.T. said is voice quite and sympathetic.

A week I couldn't believe it my parents had been dead for a week and I hadn't even known!

"How did I survive," I asked reaching up and touching the bandaged side of my head once again pushing down the grief that threatened to steal me away.

At this J.T. eyes became a stormy gray.

"Lets just say in my life before Tarsus IV I learned how to treat serious injuries. I got the supplies from someone house before it was burned to the ground the night of the…" J.T. trailed off and I couldn't blame him there really wasn't any words to describe what we had seen.

"Before Tarsus IV," I asked then immediately flinched. This wasn't any of my business and I could tell I was treading on dangerous ground.

J.T. actually flinched too but after a second he answered.

"I lived on earth until about a 4 months ago. Got sent here to stay with my aunt and uncle after I drove a 20th century car of a cliff and my step dad decided I need to be sent here to his brothers and his sister-in law house for a little…. attitude adjustment," At this J.T. snorted his voice bitter, "Like he wasn't giving me enough of that at home with out sending me to this horrible planet."

I started at J.T. There wasn't much else I could do. This kid had been abused and from the sounds of it horribly so.

'Well,' I thought grimly, 'I guess that explains why he's so much skinnier then even us. They probably starved him before the famine.'

I searched for something to say. Something that could express how sorry I was that he had to go through that. Some words that would describe how amazed I was that even going through all that he was still a nice person. But nothing came to mind and I could tell by the thick air that J.T. was uncomfortable with me just sitting there staring at him.

So I opened hoping I wouldn't say the wrong thing, and…. Grrrrroooowwwlll…. My stomach interrupted.

J.T. glanced at me and I felt my blood rush into my hollow cheeks.

For a second we just stared at each other and then J.T. threw his head back and laughed loud and long. Slowly my blush began to disappear and my lips twitched up. And then something happened I chuckled.

Never had laughing felt so good and before I could stop myself I was joining J.T. in chorus of laughter. There wasn't much to laugh at if you thought about. My parents we're dead… My sister starved…. We where hiding out in the woods, I didn't have a left eye any more, we where all hungry and thin with a low to no existent food supply, we had seen a brutal and uncalled for slaughter of people we knew, and the only person left to take care of Kelsey, and I was this blue eyed boy, who barley 2 years older then I, sitting beside me.

And yet that one awkward moment broken by a growl of an empty stomach seemed like the funniest joke in the world.

My dad had once told me that sometimes people laughed to relieve stress and stop them selves from going crazy. So I just passed this off as J.T.'s and my attempt to stay sane.

But we sobered up after a couple of minutes remembering that Kelsey was asleep just a few feet away.

"Here eat this," J.T. said bending down to pick up something.

When he came back up he was holding a partially eaten can of the tuna I had smelled earlier.

It had a couple of native bugs crawling up the side of it and in the past tuna had never been in my top 100 favorite foods but my mouth watered at the sight of it. So with a frantic grateful nod I took the can of tune and began to shovel it into my mouth with what appeared to be an old slightly bent fork.

J.T. gave me a small smile and leaned back to wait patiently for me to finish eating.

However after a couple of scoops a thought stop my hand half way to my mouth.

"J.T.?" I asked feeling hesitant and fearful.

J.T. who had been staring at the stars, probably the only thing similar between Tarsus IV and the far away planet earth, in kind of a weird trance only gave a small hum to let me know he was listening.

"Why did it seem like you knew what was going to happen," I asked feeling cold dread build in my stomach.

'No, please God no. Don't let my fears be true.' I thought to myself even as suspension began to eat at my mind, 'Please don't let J.T. be in on this.'

J.T. glanced at me surprise once again flittering across his face.

"What do you mean," He asked confusion written clear as day on his face.

It was then that I realized I had never seen a more expressive face on anyone and I suddenly found it very hard to believe this boy was deceiving us.

"It's just that…. when we were waiting… in the square…" my voice was hesitant and kept breaking off and I felt shame at even bring this up, " It seemed like you knew something was going to go wrong." I finally managed to blurt out.

For a second there was only silence. Silence in which I used to watch the emotions play across J.T. face. Confusion turned into realization, which turned into anger & offense, which turned into hurt and then finally settled into quite and gentle understanding.

"I understand what your trying to say," J.T. said his voice reflecting his emotions. For some reason this just made me feel even guiltier for accusing him.

"However, if your assuming I knew that Kodo's was planning that…. SLAUGHTER… your wrong," J.T. continued.

"But then how come you acted like you did," I said feeling guilty but at the same time feeling like I needed answers.

It was quite for a couple minutes and then with a weary sigh J.T. slumped his shoulder and spoke.

"Finish eating and I'll explain to you why I had a GUT feeling on… what happened in the square." He said putting an emphasis on the word 'gut' his voice explaining to me in a way words couldn't just how tired he was.

Obediently I used the fork and scooped up another bite and shoved it in my mouth barley taking time to chew before I swallowed. J.T. sent me a small amused smiles that quickly slipped back off as he began to explain.

"It kind of tie's in with my Aunt and Uncle I was staying with." J.T. said his voice turning spiteful at the mention of his family. "You see my uncle is Kodo's main adviser and definitely not a nice man. He didn't smile much unless he was beating the crap out of me. So, when he came home the night before the square grinning like the mad man he is. I knew something wasn't right. He told me I'd have to go to the square tomorrow. Said that Kodo's had figured out a way to help with the famine and I had to go and hear what he had to say and then bring the news back to my uncle and aunt. They promised me food if I did. You know with him being the adviser to the governor he got more food then the rest of the planet when the famine struck. I was so hungry I didn't even ask why he couldn't go himself. It wasn't until I got up in the morning, got dressed, and came down stares to the stupid grin on his chubby face and a warm welcoming at the breakfast table on the right hand side of my uncle right next to my stuck up 17 year old female cousin, that my aunt and uncle we're always so convinced I was making eyes at, that I became suspicious of why I was really being sent to the square. Them treating me that nice was never EVER a sign of something good. But dang it all I was starving and hadn't eaten in days. So like a fool I ignored my instincts and went any way. When I got there and saw all the guards around I got even more suspicious but I tried to pass it off as Kodo's just being cautious because people where hungry and desperate to blame anyone they could for their misfortune and might possibly take it out on him." J.T. paused taking a deep breath his eye closed against the harsh memories,

"Then I saw you and Kelsey and I don't know why but I felt…. Incredibly protective of you guys. And then well like a fool I ignored it again. If I had… for even one second listened to my gut I could have gotten you, Kelsey, your parents and all those innocent people out of there. I could have saved their lives but like a coward I only looked out for my self only looking out for the food that would be resting comfortably in my belly later that night. Hundreds of people dead just cause I couldn't listen to what instinct was telling me and gotten everyone out. You and Kelsey could still have parents if it wasn't for me. I'm sorry Tom so so sorry." J.T. said looking up at me with tear stained pleading blue eyes.

Eyes begging me to forgive the sin that it had not done.

For the third time that nigh overwhelming grief crashed over me, but this time I let it. Grief for my parent, for all the lives lost, for my lost eye, for all this boy beside me had suffered through, for all this boy was unjustly blaming him self for poured out of me in waves of tears that should never be shed because situations like this should have never happen. I felt my breath catch in my throat and a jagged sob tore up my throat. I did the only thing I could think of doing at that moment.

I threw myself at J.T., never noticing the nearly empty can of tuna hit the ground, and hugged his middle burying the uninjured side of my face into the junction that joined his neck to his shoulder and just sobbed. After a hesitant second I felt J.T. arms wrap around me and his hand start to rub soothing circles on my back.

"I'm so Sorry Tom. So so sorry if I could go back and fix my mistake I would in a heart beat. I would have gotten you guys out sooner or taken the phaser fire aimed at your parents," J.T. whispered quietly.

I let out a disbelieving laugh that came out more like a jagged cough. This kid truly blamed himself for what happened. He kept whispering 'I'm sorry' into my hair.

If I was in the middle of a break down or in the worse possible situation a ten year old could find them selves in I would have either laughed at how ridiculous that was or smacked the kid upside the head.

As it was I just continued sobbing.

I don't know how long I stayed like that, held in the arms of the boy who had saved my sisters and mine lives and sobbing uncontrollably, only that it was long enough for my body to run out of moister to spare for tears, my throat to feel raw from the air roughly drag through it, and J.T.'s voice to become horse from whisper "I'm sorry so so sorry"

It wasn't till I finally pulled back that I felt the dampness on my own shoulder that I realized J.T. had been crying as well.

Looking up I could see the tear trails along J.T. cheek and more of the salty water pooling in the corner of his eyes. Tears I'm sure where even more long awaited to be shed then mine where.

As I locked eyes with those Blue orbs, that I was beginning to associate with comfort, safety, and… family, I could almost feel myself drowning in the regret, self-hatred, anger, hurt, and so many other emotions I saw there.

It was a horrible look one I never wanted to see on anyone's face ever again and yet at the same time it gave me hope.

Cause under all that horrible mess of self-blame I could see something…. Strength was the best word for it. Almost but no quit broken. Because J.T. eyes showed that was going to be beaten until he was dead.

J.T. was a fighter. (If only I knew those were the words I would use to describe J.T. for the rest of my life.)

"I'm sorry," J.T. repeated and I could see the phrase again in his eyes blocking the strength even more.

With a last sniffle I brought my hand up from where it had rest on J.T. shoulder after I had pulled away and smacked him as hard as I could upside the head. My strength was diminished from starvation, and extreme tiredness so J.T. head barley moved but it shut him up.

"I had that coming," J.T. said looking down shame and hurt plain on his face

"You idiot, you saved my sister life…you saved my life…your tried to save my parents at the risk of your own life, you came back for me after I stupidly turned around and came back you have NOTHING to be sorry about!" It would have been a yell if my voice hadn't been dry and cracked halfway through the first word.

Almost as soon as my voice cracked J.T. bent down and retrieved a canteen that from the sounds of it was filled with water.

"Here drink this," J.T. said holding out the canteen.

With a frustrated groan, since I could still see the doubt and blame in J.T.'s eyes, I smacked the canteen away.

"Not until you promise me you won't blame yourself for things you couldn't have prevented even if you had wanted to." By now my voice was little more then a whisper and it was everything I could do to keep from staring at the canteen wishfully.

"Fine I promise," J.T. said shoving the canteen back towards me.

I could see in J.T.'s eyes that he was lying but my self-control broke and I grabbed the water container and opened it almost desperately before gulping thirstily at it like a dying fish.

I was so distracted at the Heavenly wetness that hit my throat that I never heard J.T. whisper under his breath. "I promise to never go against what my gut instinct tells me again."

I, however, was not so distracted that I didn't realize this was my first realization that I would never be able to look out for J.T. the way he looked out for Kelsey and I.

And with that realization came my first bout of guilt that would haunt me in the years to come.

End chapter 3

**A/N:** well guys there you go I hope this makes up for the extremely long wait! I had a lot of fun writing this and I really hope you guys liked reading but like I said **3 reviews** are needed to win the next chapter. If I don't have those 3 reviews I will not update and will quit possibly take this story down. I don't want to do that I like this idea so please don't give me a reason to. I really **really** hope you guys enjoyed this I tried my hardest.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** well guy's last chapter got **4 **reviews! That's one more then I asked for and I want to **thank you all for your great advice!** I know that I didn't really keep my promise to update so fast it makes your heads spin and **I'm super sorry** but I hope the chapter makes up for the wait.

I hope this chapter okay. I know it's a bit slow but I promise it's just building towards the next chapter so please bear with me.

Once again please let me know if …

**1: If this is jumpy**

**2: and if I need to get to the point a bit faster**

**Please and thank you!**

Like I said this chapter is a little slow and probably will seem mostly pointless but I hope you like it any way. It suppose to show the beginnings of a relationship building so that why it's so dull. Well please R&R! If only to give advice on what I need to change to make it better.

**Oh and if anyone knows what italics is best to use on stories please please please please tell me!**

**HERE'S HOPING YOU'LL ENJOY IT!**

Chapter 4

My name is Tom Leighton and according to J.T. I am 10 years 9 months and 3 days old.

And if you thought that the worst of our troubles where over your dead wrong.

"Tommy, J.T. say's you need to wake up now. We have to move," Kelsey voice broke through the empty blackness that had been my dreams.

With a reluctant groan I opened my eye and, for a second, was confused as to why there was open sky above my head.

Sadly the blessed oblivion to what was going on didn't stay with me very long and I was once again smacked brutally in the face by reality.

For a moment I considered the benefits of just closing my eyes and going back to sleep if only to be as far from this cursed reality as possible. But as Kelsey leaned into my new limited sight I knew I couldn't do that. No matter how much I wanted to escape I would never leave Kelsey alone.

So I gave a nodded and slowly set up my arms shaking under my weight. As soon as I had fully set up I found another can of tuna shoved under my nose.

"Eat up. You're going to need your strength." J.T. surprisingly cheerful voice sounded.

I glanced up at him only to be met with a bright grin. Despite the trouble we where in couldn't help but return it. Giving a small nodded of thanks to J.T. I took the can he offered and turned towards Kelsey.

"Are you alright Kelly?" I asked trying to ignore the rasp of my voice.

"I'm fine Tommy," Kelsey whispered with a small smile that didn't quit manage to reach her eyes.

"Are you sure? Do you need to eat?" I rasped ignore the pain it inflicted on my throat.

"No," Kelsey shook her head; "J.T.'s already stuffed me with two cans of tuna." She said nose wrinkling in distaste even as she sent an adoring gaze over to where J.T. had moved to pack a couple of cans of various nonperishable foods into a small back pack.

At the sound of his name J.T. turned around and gave a large grin.

"Of course, we got to put a little meat on those bones so there's more of you for me to tickle." J.T. grin making it self-known in his voice.

Almost as if that was a signal Kelsey yelped and started to scramble away just as J.T. lunged. I watched in surprise as J.T. suddenly pulled Kelsey close with one arm using the other to run his fingers quickly over Kelsey rib cage.

Kelsey let out a strange kind of strangled yelp and collapsed against the ground in a fit of laughter. The familiar sound soothed my fried nerves and seemed to relieve some of the seemingly endless pain. For a second I almost forgot that we where even in the middle of a crises. I could almost pretend I was just out camping with my sister and Dad like we use to do in the old days.

But the key word there was almost. Because back then it would have taken longer for Kelsey to start to gasp for breath. It would have taken longer for her body to start shaking so much it looked more painful the enjoyable. And Dad didn't have blinding bright blonde hair and striking blue eyes.

But it was almost like it had been and when J.T. finally pulled back and I was able to see Kelsey bright eyes sparkling in a way that was almost forgotten and that million watt smile she was famous for on her face I thought 'maybe for now almost is ok'

That thought lasted for all but 10 seconds.

Because when J.T. bent down and planted a fatherly kiss on Kelsey's dirt streaked for head I was reminded again in sharp detail what was going on. Kelsey and J.T. we both covered in dirt and soot. Kelsey long black hair tangled in a wild mess. Her face and body painfully thin.

And she was wearing the same baggy clothing she had been 5 days before. Only now at the bottom of her jeans and most shoes where covered in blood. J.T wasn't in any better of shape and I knew if I had a mirror I would see I looked just the same. With an aching pain in my chest I turned away from where the two where still giggling.

"You alright Tom?" J.T.'s laughter suddenly broke off and concern filled every note of his voice.

Turning back I forced a small grin on my face as I found two pairs of concerned eyes gazing at me.

"I'm fine," I reassured. Kelsey seemed except this and before long had pushed to her feet to go and continue where J.T. had left off in packing food.

J.T., however, was not fooled.

"You want to tell me how you really are?" He growled tone leaving no room for augments or lies.

For a while I stayed silent. Just taking time to absorb our surrounding and everything that was going on.

We set at the edge what appeared to be one of the many now dead Tarsus cornfields. The back of our small camp pressed against the thick tree trunks that lead into a dead forest.

We where hidden well even I knew that. But my mind still didn't like this area. Everything in it was dead. Just consent remind of the hell going on. And to me that seem like a bad omen.

I stayed think on this subject for a long while just to avoid J.T.'s question hoping maybe if I didn't say anything he'd get frustrated and just walk off. But eventually it became apparent that just wasn't going to happen.

So sighing I turned my thought away from my surrounding and all it represented to me and answered J.T.'s question.

"How do you think I am?" I growled bitterly.

For a second J.T. was just silent and the he sighed.

"I'm Sorry," J.T. whisper his voice breaking.

And just like that I remember last night and felt horribly guilty for taking my anger out on him. The kid already blamed himself and I wasn't helping him by making it seem like he was responsible for this.

I felt like reminding him of his promise not to blame himself but I felt it better not to.

So I changed the subject.

"Why do we have to leave," I asked feeling more then a little relieved at the prospect.

"Last night when I left after you woke up. I was doing a small patrol around the surrounding area of the clearing. I spotted smoke from a campfire a little ways away from the direction of the city. It a safe bet that it's Kodo's men looking for people that escaped from the square. Probably trying to make sure they don't contact Starfleet and tell them just what Kodo's did." J.T. explained.

I nodded to show I understood then pushed slowly to my feet.

Surprised J.T. scrambled to his feet as well.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked determined to help.

"Nothing," J.T. stated firmly his eyes once again becoming fatherly, " Nothing but sit down and eat. I told you you're going to need your strength that fever you got after you where shot was not a nice one and it's left you week. Regain some of your strength and then well see what we have for you to do."

I was about to protest when all of the sudden I was struck with a wave of dizziness that left me stumbling about.

Thanks to my bleary vision I was just able to make out J.T. lunge forward and a second later two thin arms caught me mid fall. It was like déjà vu and I felt for sure we where going to have a repeat of last night but, to my surprise, J.T. managed to keep his balance this time and lowered me back to the ground.

"Eat. It should help with the dizziness," J.T. ordered when I finally regained my senses.

With the evidence thrown in my face like that I knew I had no choice but to go along with J.T.'s orders. So I reached for the previously forgotten can of tuna, popped the tab, opened, stuck the spun in, dug out a nice sized bite and shoved it pointedly into my mouth to show J.T. he had won.

With a satisfied nod he walked over towards Kelsey who seemed to be taking inventory of how much food we had.

When I finally had finished eating and taken a sip or two out of the canteen some one had, probably purposely, left near me I had to reluctantly agree to the fact that I did feel stronger.

Almost as if sensing my thoughts J.T. turned around and gave me a grin.

When my eyes locked with his I could see something there. Something that seemed like a…DARE. He was daring me to do something but I didn't know what.

A smirk split J.T.

"Hey, Tom think you can come over here and give me a hand with something?" He quietly called.

That's when it clicked.

He was daring me to walk.

With a smirk and a prayer my newfound strength wasn't just mentally. I pushed ever so slowly to my feet. When I reached my full height I waited for the minor dizziness to wear off. And then I took a few experimental steps.

And when I didn't fall I felt a grin begin to tug at the corners of my mouth. I glanced up at J.T. to see him openly grinning and pride shining deep in his blue eyes.

Kelsey stood beside him beaming happily as if I had just roped her the moon. I felt my own grin grow and I was about walk closer when movement behind them caught my eye.

A shadow was moving slowly towards J.T. and Kelsey. It's shape and length signaling that it was in adult and the slow approach probably was so that they wouldn't hear the person coming. I could almost feel myself pale and I was sure my eyes where three times their normal size.

Fear grip every single part of my body. We hadn't moved camp fast enough… we had been found!

"J.T., KELSEY, BEHIND YOU!" The words where out of my throat before my thoughts had even caught up to me

J.T. flipped around to face the shadow person, pushing Kelsey behind him his stance defensive his chin raised and his fist held at his side ready to swing should guards come at us.

I tensed ready to pull Kelsey out of the way should a fight break out. (Cause J.T. looked bent on starting one.) After a second though the figure appeared in full view.

A loud piercing scream ripped through the air and I didn't have to look to know it had been Kelsey. If I hadn't been so shocked I probably would have screamed to.

Out of the woods came a limping young woman at the most only 30 years old.

Her long reddish brown hair was in a tangled mess with leaves and twigs poking out. Her clothing town to almost literal shreds. Her dark brown eyes wild and blood shot from a fever. In her arms was a small boy probably no more then 5 years of age.

But what had caused Kelsey to scream was the most horrifying. Half the ladies leg had been shot off! Muscle and tissue was hanging in shred off of clearly visual bone. For a second both groups just stared at each other.

Then….

"Please, Please help," The women gasped holding out the young boy, "Please help the other and please take him and take him please?"

J.T. moved closer and took hold of the boy who immediately started crying and reaching for his mother.

The young women gave a small sad smile before toppling over.

"TOM, KELSEY HELP ME OUT HERE!" Shouted J.T. as he shifted the kid quickly into my arms.

I watch holding screaming boy as J.T. crouched down next to the woman and turned her over.

Her eyes where still opened but to me there seemed to be almost sightless and glassy looking.

"Kelsey there's a stream just behind those trees over there get some water. Tom start a fire we need to heat the water if we plan on sanitizing the wound. Hand me that jacket I got to rip it up to start making bandages," J.T. ordered franticly.

To me it seem like a lost cause but as Kelsey ran to do what she had been told I could only follow and try to help the best I could. But as I moved away I was stopped by a voice.

"Don't bother," The women lying on the ground whispered, "It's to late for me."

J.T. eyes where a stormy gray right now but seeing as he hadn't ordered me to go finish my task I figured he had concluded the same as the women.

"You said something about helping the other?" J.T. whispered, "What did you mean? Are there other children? Other sick people?"

"Yes," the women rasped, "Yes others. Kodo's he's behind this. He is keeping them locked in the courthouse. Over half the population of Tarsus. They are waiting to die in there. Men, Women, Children. Two hundred every day from today on forward till only the "more valued members of the colony are alive" will be killed. 4,000 people are to be brutally murdered. You must help them please you must! Most the children have been spared. To be used as guard I hear. To become murders so that they can have the one thing everyone on this Retched planet want. Food! Kodo's plans to hang food over their heads and to get it all they have to do is kill their own families. Please you must save the children from that fate please!"

"Well save them Ma'am I promise. We'll save them," J.T. soothed.

"Thank you," the women choked out.

Was it just me or did it seem like she was breathing a bit slower? And her eye lids where slowly dropping shut. That couldn't be a good thing.

"Mommy," the boy I held whimpered.

The women eyelids popped back open. And she turned her head to look at the little boy. And for a second I was sure her vision cleared of all glassiness and sickness. But the moment last just that long before clouding back over.

"Kevin it's okay, honey. These nice people will take care of you now, sweetheart," She whispered now cause it seems like that's all she could manage.

Turning her eyes back to J.T. she murmured, "His name is Kevin Thomas Riley. He's 5 years old. Please take care of him. Even if you can not help the other please just take care of him please."

For a long while a J.T. and the woman just stared at each other as if in silent communication and then a look that I was becoming increasing familiar with entered J.T.'s eye.

The look of promise.

The women's lips twitched up in just the slightest hint of a smile like she too understood the look in his eye and then with one last glance at her son who had frozen in my arms she turned looked up at the purple sky closed her eyes and exhaled the words "Thank you."

And just like that her eyes never flickered open again, her mouth never muttered another word, her chest never rose again, she was dead.

I felt cold all over and when the little boy struggled out of my arms I barley noticed. All I noticed now was the dead body of the young women who not even a full minute ago had been alive and talking.

Like so many other her life had been cut short. How much more of this could happen?

"MOMMY!" The shrill horrified cry of the little boy bought me back to the fact that other people where here.

"Mommy, come on you have to wake up mommy. Those mean boys are coming soon we have to go now is not that time for a nap." The kid whined shaking his mother's shoulder in a desperate attempt to rouse her.

I felt my heart break for the little kid. So young and innocent that 'dead' was a word that only applied to goldfish when they where flushed down the toilet. He knew his mother wasn't just napping you could see it in face but he didn't know what else to call it.

Sudden movement caught my eye and I had to tear my gaze from the heart-wrenching scene.

"Tom go get Kelsey. Tell her never mind with the water. Just get enough for four of us to drink. If what Kevin here says is true then we need to go and go now." J.T. order standing firm and if his eyes weren't so expressive one would think he wasn't effected at all by the happenings around him.

But the look in J.T. eyes was almost as bad as the actual picture of what was going on. With a nodded relieved to get away from all this sadness that was just adding to my own I ran in the direction I had seen Kelsey take.

A few minutes later when Kelsey and me returned holding a canteen full of water everything looked as if we had never been there.

The fire pit had been scattered the place where we had slept where smoothed over to look like a normal pile of dead crops. The only thing indicating any one had been here at all was in the middle of the clearing where J.T. and Kevin where sat a big lump on dead leaves, grass, and rocks and dirt.

Kelsey sent me a question look but I just shook my head and sat down to wait for J.T. and Kevin to come over.

Kelsey continued to look confused until she finally seemed to notice the women wasn't around.

I could practically hear the realization hit her.

I saw a shiver crawl up her spine and after a second she collapsed next to me her eyes tear filled. I wrapped my arms around her and turned her away from the hastily made grave. We sat there for what felt like forever me just holding Kelsey as she cried silently over another death that none of us could fully understand.

Finally however we heard approaching footsteps. I turned around making sure to keep Kelsey from seeing the grave.

J.T. was walking towards us Kevin in his arms his head bared in J.T. neck and from the violent shaking of his shoulder crying. As they drew closer I could hear J.T. voice gently whispering to the young boy.

"We need to go now," J.T. urged as he drew up beside us, "From what Kev here told me his mother and he escaped from the courthouse early last night. The guards spotted them and his mother was shot while they where running away. Kevin said he heard one shout to follow them. She was injured so I doubt she was moving fast enough to put a great deal of length between them. My guess is they aren't to far from here."

I nodded standing up and pulling Kelsey along with.

"Where do we go," I asked.

"I've come out here quite a bit when I need to get away from my aunt and uncle for awhile. There's a secluded cavern not to far from here a Big cavern that can't be found unless you stumble upon it or are looking for it. I suggest we try there. It'll be big enough for us and who ever we rescue tonight." J.T. stated in a very matter of fact tone.

"Sounds goo…wait what?" I asked, " J.T. what do mean who ever we rescue tonight?"

"I'm going to sneak into the courthouse and get as many people as I can out of there. I promised her I would and I'm going to," was J.T.'s cool replied tone once again leaving no room for augment.

"Okay just one thing wrong with that…. ARE YOU FREAKING OUT OF YOU MIND!" I shouted. A second later J.T. hand was covering my mouth.

"Quite, they maybe close enough to hear you and if they are then you'll get us all caught," J.T. Hissed.

I stayed quite long enough for us all to hear whether or not someone was coming. After a couple of minutes of complete silence I ripped J.T. hand of my face.

"Oh I'm the one who's going get as all caught? Who's the psycho with a death wish that wants to break into a high security building full of people just itching to kill us?" I hissed back sarcasm dripping off of every word.

"Look I made a promise to never again go against my gut instinct. And it's my gut instinct telling me we have to go and rescue those people." J.T. seethed.

"Is it your gut instinct telling you to do this or some crazy belief that your responsible for 200 hundred death and need to make it up by rescuing everyone else that drives you to do something so insane?" I fired back.

For a long time there was only silence. J.T. staring at me with wide eyes, Kelsey staring at both of us with even wider eyes and Kevin just staring emotionless at everything. Then J.T. let out a deep sigh,

"We need to move. We've wasted enough time,"

I just nodded, to frustrated to do any thing else, put my arm around Kelsey and guided her in the path that J.T. lead us.

It took us a little less then two hours to find the cave.

When we got there J.T. laid the now sleeping Kevin on the softest piece of ground he could and covered the boy with the jacket. Once that was done he went to work on a fire since it was getting dark and a chill was setting in. After a couple of seconds I moved to help him.

"Look," I whispered trying not to speak to loud and create an echo that would disturb the sleeping boy, " I'm sorry about earlier. It just that one I don't think Kelsey or I could survive with out you. Two even if we did rescue all those people we would just be prolonging their death. How would we be able to get food for so many with out being suspicious? Third and most importantly…. J.T. you're my friend I've already lost my 75% of my immediate family not including myself, over 10% of face, all my friends, and 100% of my innocents. Don't you thing I've lost enough without losing you too?"

J.T. hands, which had been working fiercely at rubbing two of tarsus natural flame making rocks, slipped in surprise creating a shower of sparks that luckily caught the dry branches piled in the fire pit. A second later J.T. was pushing me back as a flame bursted into life just barley missing singing the tip of my nose.

I landed on my butt a good three inches from where I had been crouching by the pit.

"You have indeed lost much in this short period of time," J.T. whispered back giving me a small-amused smile as I gave him a sheepish but grateful look for saving my hide.

(Honestly I should have remembered that those kinds of stones had a chemical in them that caused the flames they created to expand on first contact with wood.)

"However, you won't lose me that easily. And if it you did you would probably be safer I'm bad luck." J.T. muttered the last part bitterly.

"You are not," I snorted.

"My mom goes into early labor second before the starship she's on is attacked. Seconds after I'm born my dad dies. The day I turned five my mom meets a Mr. Step dad. I come here two months later this happens. Trust me I'm unlucky." J.T. insisted.

I sighed but dropped the subject.

"I'm sorry we can't help those people," I whispered..

Beside me J.T. stiffened.

"Who says we can't?" He grunted

I looked at him shocked about to responded when he interrupted.

"You where wrong it wasn't that's driving me. It's my gut and if you excuse me I have two promise to carry out tonight." He said climbing to his feet and walking towards the entrance of the cave.

I watched him walk away scared to death of what was going to happen.

"J.T.," I hollered.

He turned to look at me his eyes telling me that there was no use in trying to talk him out of it.

"Are you one hundred and ten percent sure this cave is safe?" I sighed

J.T. looked confused but nodded.

With another deep tired sigh I resigned myself to fate and turned my gaze towards Kelsey, who was watching over the little sleeping boy like a hawk.

"Kelly," I whispered drawing her attention to me for a second, " I need you to stay here with Kevin. J.T. and I should be back in a couple of hours. Under no circumstances are you to leave the cave you got it?" At her nodded of understanding I pushed to my feet and walked over to where J.T. stood gapping at me.

"J.T. so help me we had better come back. If we don't well I hope I get the chance to punch you before we die," I growled as I walked by.

That seemed to snap him out of his trance.

A bright grin spread across J.T. 's face.

"We will," He said his grin face practically glowing, "I feel it in my gut."

I rolled my eyes but allowed myself my own small grin. But when we stepped out into the cold darkness and headed in the direction that J.T. said the town was in I just sent up a small silent prayer begging…

that J.T. gut was brain dead.

End chapter 4

A/N

Well guys let me once again Apologize for the slowness of this chapter. I hope it wasn't to slow but if it was please let me know. And I honestly hope, that even if it was a bit long winded, that you enjoyed it.


	5. Chapter 5

**MOST IMPORTANT A/N IN THE WORLD:** All right guys let me first kick things of by say this chapter has **been corrected by CaptainQuirk1701! **So I can't take all the credit for this chapter that I'm 100% positive is the best one in the entire story! I may have written it out and came up with the idea but they did the hard part. So if you get that chance be sure to, if you like this story, particularly this chapter, tell CaptainQuirk1701 thanks! Because I'm going to THANK YOU CAPTAINQUIRK1701 FOR MAKING THIS STORY WAY BETTER BECAUSE OF YOU HELP!

On other news though let me say I'm so so SO very sorry for the long wait between updates. I know I say that all the time but I'll admit it I'm a lazy daughter of a gun and couldn't get into writing very much these past few months and I'm so sorry. I once again hope this chapter is good enough for your forgiveness!

And you know what I know I need to get my butt in high gear and start spitting out chapters more often so I'll make you a deal. **Give me a date that you want the next chapter done by. I only ask that you make it reasonable because like so many of you I do still have school to deal with. But you give me that date that you think you want to see the next chapter by and I'll update by then I promise no if's and's or butt's about it I'll only miss the dead line you give me if I'm dead! The only two conditions on this and that's one, as stated earlier make it reasonable not like the next day, and two that I have to get at least 4 reviews for this chapter by the time the update day comes along. DO YOU THINK THAT REASONABLE? **

Anyway as all ways I **VERY MUCH HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS NEXT CHAPTER AND PLEASE R&R! **

Chapter 5

My name is Tom Leighton. I'm 10 years, 9 months, and almost 4 days old.

If there is one thing Tarsus IV has in common with Earth it's the night sky. While during the day it's a bright purple, at night it's the same inky blackness broken by diamond lights. And, like Earth, Tarsus is one of the few planets that only has one moon.

That very moon was shining brightly tonight, and making it all the more difficult for J.T. and I to sneak back into the colony. What with my natural night blindness, useless eye, and clumsy feet, I often found myself stumbling into moonlight. It made me easier to spot, but at least I could see where I was going.

J.T., on the other hand, seemed relaxed yet perfectly alert. He slid into the shadows as easily as if he were one himself. If anyone could have seen him, they would have been able to tell he'd had a lot of practice sneaking around and staying out of sight.

He made me feel ashamed of my clumsiness, though he never said a word about it, just kept tugging me by the wrist and guiding me back into the shadows whenever I accidentally stumbled out. Several times I lost sight of him, panicked, and walked straight into a spotlight, but he was always there to catch me.

J.T. moved through the shadows as quickly and as soundlessly as the wind. When guards passed, they never even glanced around; unaware of our presence even though we were just a couple inches away.

It wasn't until we were looking at the front doors of the courthouse that we had any real close calls.

"Well, I guess we won't be going through the front doors," J.T. whispered, speaking for the first time since we left the cave.

I was behind him, and couldn't see what he was looking at, so I craned my neck to see over his shoulder.

That was a huge mistake. I was much shorter than him, and standing up on my tiptoes like that threw me off balance. I ended up stumbling into the moonlight.

J.T. didn't catch me in time to stop my leg and half my torso from being reveled to the ten-armed guards watching the courthouse. And of course ten guards meant 20 eyes staring in ten different directions, which meant….

"What was that?" exclaimed a particularly rough-looking guard, standing up so fast his chair slid with a bang into the dark wooden doors behind him.

He cocked his phaser rifle and pointed it right where my torso had flickered in and out of sight.

J.T. moved so fast it was a literal blink and miss moment.

One moment I had been standing almost beside him, in plain sight. The next, I was pressed against the glass, chest to chest with him as he stood protectively in front of me. Breathing shallowly in my face, his sky blue eyes turned steely gray by the darkness, he stared straight at me.

"Keep your mouth shut and don't move, or you're going to get us killed," was his silent message.

I felt my own breath snag in my chest as I strained my ears to catch the noise coming from the guards.

"What was what?" Asked a bored male voice.

"I don't know what it was. It just looked like a disembodied leg and torso, over there by that old coot's bar," the man replied, his voice gruff. A second later I distinctly heard the sound of a phaser powering up.

"Seeing ghosts now, Miller?" came a sarcastic voice, this time female.

"Shut up, Frank!" Miller said, sounding irritated. "I know what I saw and it looked like someone was watching us."

"Well, if you're so sure, go over and check it out," grunted another one of the guards.

I felt J.T. tense in front of me. And I was pretty sure that if my own spine straightened out any further I was going to snap backwards.

"Stay here," J.T. whispered.

I felt fear choke me but I managed a short nod. And with that, the protective cover of J.T. slid away from me. That's when I really had to fight off the panic and the urge to follow him.

Now that I was able to see them, I tried to focus my attention on the guards instead of the fact that J.T. was nowhere in my limited sight.

"Fine, I will. But I'm taking Masters and Fields with me," grunted Miller, looking directly at the spot where I stood. His eyes squinted like he was  
trying to spot me again.

I felt my stiff spine turn to jelly. I knew he hadn't spotted me yet, but with 10 short strides down the courthouse stairs and across the deserted and blood covered road, the long-legged man and I would be nose to barrel.

As two other men, one with silver hair and clearly not a human and the other a black-haired, agile looking young man, stood up and turned on their own phasers, Miller started down the steps, the barrel of his rifle pointed straight at my belly.

Masters and Fields were quick to follow, pointing their own phasers in the same direction as Miller's.

I felt my knees begin to bang into each other, and I could no longer control my breath, which came out in short, panicked, gasps. My fingernails were digging into the bricks behind me. If I didn't have so many other things on my mind, it probably would have hurt.

I pressed myself as tightly against the wall as I could. My first instinct was to run, but common sense told me that if I moved they'd only see me sooner.

As they came closer another instinct came over me, one every child knows: The instinct to cry and scream for some authority figure to come and rescue you. Only my instinct was not to call for my mom or my dad or some police officer, like most kids. No, the first person that came to my mind to start screaming for was J.T. But where was he?

"He left you here to die, kid. Face it, he doesn't care about you. You were only a distraction in case he needed to save his own skin," an evil voice chuckled darkly inside my head.

The guards were now halfway across the street and closing in fast on the spot where I stood. They were so close I could see Miller's eyes widening slowly as he started to notice my skinny frame.

"No," another voice agued with the first, "Why would he go through all the trouble to save your butt last time if he was just going to throw you to the sharks the first chance he got? You'll see, he'll save you again."

The guards had reached the sidewalk, and I knew just one more step would bring me into plain view for them to use as a target. My already wild heartbeat kicked up another notch to the point that I was sure they could hear it.

"COME ON, J.T.!" the second voice shouted in my head as I saw the guard's foot head towards the ground for that final, fatal step.

CRASH…RRRRRRIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNG!

Somewhere on the other side of the block, a store's alarm system went off as its window shattered. The guards in front of me froze mid-step, spun on their heels, and took off towards the blaring alarm, as did four of the other guards who had been stationed in front of the doors

As the guards ran around the corner and out of sight, I felt my knees go watery with relief. I would have collapsed right there, sobbing with joy that I was still alive, if the shadows hadn't been so thin. Even so, I let tears of relief slide happily down my face as my both my body and mind slowly came back under control. I still hadn't fully relaxed when suddenly J.T. appeared right next to me. My already edgy mind went blank in fear, and I jumped and swung my fist forward in a last ditch effort to protect myself from harm.

J.T. managed to catch my fist before it slammed into his nose.

"Tom, it's me!" he hissed before peering cautiously at the remaining three guards.

With another wave of relief crashing over me, I yanked my fist from J.T.'s hand and threw my thin arms around his scrawny neck in a bone-crushing hug.

"Please don't leave me alone again! Please," I begged, sobbing into his shoulder, "Please, J.T., everyone else has already left me. Please, not you. Please, I can't live on my own! Please, dad, please, I need someone to take care of me while I take care of Kelsey. Dad, I know I promised that I would be strong and take care of Kelsey, but I can't take care of her alone, not without someone taking care of me too. Please don't leave me again, please," I begged in a low sob, never catching my slip on what I had called J.T.

J.T., who for a second had just stood frozen in shock, slowly wrapped his arm around me and rubbed my back in a soothing effort to calm me down.

"Shhhh, now you're all right son. I promise I won't leave you again. I promise," J.T. whispered in my ear, neither one of us taking notice of the sentiment he had used.

The moment was broken by the quickly approaching steps of the returning guards. We were unkindly slammed back into reality, where we had a mission that the lives of thousands depended on. With a growl, J.T. pulled away. "It's not safe," he whispered, and dragged me forward by my sleeve, sticking to closer to the wall then he had earlier.

I nodded and wiped my eyes with my free sleeve, unable to feel ashamed of my breakdown.

"There has to be a back door," J.T. hissed, pressing us close to the wall again as the guards passed us.

It took us a few minutes to skirt around the block and to the back of the courthouse, but luckily we didn't encounter any more guards.

However, when we did reach the back we found that there was no back door. But there was one of those thin rectangular basement windows that seemed a bit longer than average.

Just long enough to fit a tall 12-year-old.

And the best part… it was open.

Through it, though, we could hear things that made our hearts clench and smell things that made our empty stomachs roll. The sound of sick coughing and young kids crying was drifting out to us, accompanied by the stench of pee and something much worse.

This was the first time and last time I think I had ever seen J.T. look so physically distraught over something. Not just his eyes, his entire face showed the sadness he felt for the way these people were being treated.

"Kodos, you sick S.O.B., you had better hope you never come face to face with me," J.T. growled, his blue eyes harsh. I was sure his expression would scare the socks off even Kodos.

"Come on, Tom," J.T. whispered, peering around in the room. "There are no guards in there. You slide in first, that way if any guards come patrolling around here you'll be out of the way of the shots."

I nodded and lay down on my stomach, feet facing the window, then slowly shimmied my way through it, sucking in on instinct before realizing there was really no need to.

My feet hit the floor before my head was even pulled all the way through. I turned my head and pulled it through, but my ears got stuck. I let out quite a yelp; scared I would be stuck like this for a long time, when I head a small snicker. I felt rather than saw J.T. bend down.

The next second, bony fingers pushed my ears flat against my skull and pushed. My head popped out of the window so quickly I didn't have time to catch my balance, and I stumbled in tripping over something and landed flat on my backside.

"Tom, you okay?" J.T.'s concerned voice floated to me as I stood up, rubbing my sore bottom.

"Yeah, I'm fine..." My sentence trailed away as I caught sight of what I had tripped over.

In front of me, staring at the wall, curled up in a fetal position, was an old woman with wiry gray hair that looked as though it had been pulled from its roots. Tear tracks led from her once beautiful hazel eyes to the point of her chin to form a puddle on the floor.

My breath snagged in shock.

"Miss Norwick?" I asked, my voice quivering.

No, it couldn't be… but if her grandmother was here, that meant they must have…. Her.

"Miss Norwick? Miss Norwick is…. Is Martha here? Miss Norwick, is your granddaughter here?" I asked desperately, shaking her shoulder.

As though waking slowly from a trance, Miss Norwick finally pulled her gaze from the wall and turned it on me. Her eyes didn't light up with recognition as I had hoped.

"Who… who are you?" Miss Norwick asked, her voice slow and crackly…defeated. So very unlike her usual feisty tone.

"It's me, Tom Leighton, Miss Norwick. Where's Martha, is she here?" I asked, my voice shaking in desperate hope that she would say no.

"Martha…Martha who?" asked Miss Norwick, her voice clueless and hazy.

In a fit of pent up frustration, fear, and grief, I grabbed the old woman by the shoulder and shook her as hard as I possibly could.

"MARTHA! MARTHA NORWICK! YOUR GRANDAUGHTER, MISS NORWICK, IS SHE HERE? IS MARTHA HERE?" I screamed before remembering that there where guards everywhere.

The older women flinched and scurried backwards, but for the first time since I had set eyes on her tonight something ignited behind that gaze.

"Martha," Miss Norwick whispered slowly.

"Yes, Martha….Yes, is she here?" I whispered back, fear constricting my throat.

"Martha, oh my poor dear, I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry, I should have done more to stop them from taking you…. Oh I'm so sorry, my poor baby girl, my poor granddaughter, what horrors you must be going through," Miss Norwick sobbed, putting her head in between her knees and yanking on her hair till it came out in fistfuls.

"MARTHA! MARTHA! OH MY POOR SWEET MARTHA! FILTHY ANIMALS, TAKING MY POOR POOR MARTHA! MARTHA! MARTHA! MARTHA!," She wailed, shooting around to claw at the wall like a dog trying to dig under a fence.

I did nothing to stop her. My insides had turned to ice and everything around me disappeared.

"Oh good Lord please no. Please good Lord, don't let it be true. Please don't let her be here, please don't let her be…." I prayed, feeling like curling up into a fetal position on the urine-covered floor.

However, the sound of J.T. stumbling in from the window brought me back to Tarsus IV, something I was really beginning to hate.

"Tom, what happened? Are you okay?" J.T. asked, concern coloring his voice and reminding me of the reason we were here in the first place. Steeling myself against the pain for now, I stood.

"No," I answered honestly.

It was scary to hear how hollow and dead my voice was getting.

J.T. took a step back, apparently surprised at my tone.

"Let's get everyone out of here." I growled.

J.T. just nodded and turned around to face the giant room filled with close to 4,000 people. No one had even glanced over to see why two boys had climbed through the window into this hell hole.

"Excuse me everyone, we're here to help. We're going to break you out of here," J.T. called.

Some people glanced up in interest, others just snorted and curled further into themselves, and still others didn't even respond.

"Alright, so does anyone know if there's someone watching the door, or when the guard switch is?" J.T. asked.

For a moment it looked as if no one would answer. Then, slowly, someone pushed himself to his feet. He was a tall dark skinned man, with graying black hair and fatherly brown eyes.

"My name's Chris Baker, and to answer your questions: Yes, there's a guard on the door leading out of here, and they don't leave until another guard has fully taken over the shift. There's never a moment to escape and I think you're nuts for trying. I suggest climbing out the window you climbed in through and saving your own hides while you still can." The man's stern voice left no room for disagreement, and yet J.T. ignored it.

"With all due respect Mr. Baker, we came here to rescue you, and I'll be damned if I let Tom come here risking his neck for no reason at all." J.T.'s stern tone matched Mr. Baker's step for step. For a while the two of them just stood there staring at each other, in the silent communication only J.T. was able to create.

Then finally, after an eternity of nothing but the frantic muttering of Miss Norwick, Mr. Baker stepped back, almost hidden behind the shadows of the wide rectangular room.

"You got guts, kid," Mr. Baker said, a grudging respect echoing in his voice. "What the hey. I'm good for anything that gets us the heck out of here."

J.T. smiled and gave a polite nod.

"Good choice," J.T. whispered, his own voice respectful.

"All right everyone; these two boys are here to rescue us. I want everyone, women and children first, to line up at the window," Mr. Baker addressed the now slowly gathering crowd.

There was some excited muttering, but most people just stared silently at us, their ears not daring to believe what they had just heard. Then, slowly, a little child, at the most only 8 years old, walked over and tried to pull himself through the low window.

That seemed to break the spell, as a couple of men rushed forward to start helping the shorter kids through the window. The rest of the people gathered in a long line that must have wrapped around the room three times. Children were only a small percentage of the people in the room; there might have been about 90 or so. The women were next, and then the men. I felt my breath catch.

"J.T., there's so many of them. How are we going to sneak away from here with so many people following us?" I breathed, feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of our mission.

I never got a reply. I turned around just in time to see J.T. squeeze through the window and turn around to pull little ones up. I let out a sigh and moved to help push the kids through.

It took at least 30 minutes before we had even managed to get down to the last five kids, and by now panic was swimming at the corner of my brain. We had been here way too long and guards were sure to come by soon. There was just no way we could stay here and save everyone without the risk of being found.

And I was right.

No sooner had I pushed the last kid out to J.T. then there was a loud bang and yell.

"WHAT'S GOING ON IN HERE?" yelled a voice I recognized as Miller's.

In slow motion, I turned to see the guards standing with phasers pointed at random people in the crowd. I heard them fire, the sound like a cannon blast in the dead silent room.

And then it was like stepping through cool water back into the square. People were running. Some moved foolishly towards the guards in a desperate attempt to overwhelm them. People were screaming and dying. It was a horror nobody deserved to see once in their life, let alone twice.

I barely felt Mr. Baker grab me and shove me through the window, or J.T. grabbing desperately at the collar of my shirt trying to yank me through.

"Come on, Tom, move!" J.T.'s yell snapped me out of my daze just as my feet popped out of the hole and I was once again in the midnight blackness.

"RUN, EVERYBODY! FOLLOW ME!" J.T. yelled over the screams from the basement.

In a blind panic everyone, myself included, stampeded after J.T. to a part of the town that soon disappeared into forest. But with so many panicked screaming and crying kids only following the person next to them it was by no means an easy escape.

As I heard the guards running and yelling after us, as well as the distinct sound of phasers charging I just knew….This was the end. J.T. had been wrong. This had been a huge mistake that was about to cause over 80 deaths, mine included.

….So why was I still following him towards the forest instead of dodging into some random building where I had a better chance of surviving? As we hit the tree lining and the first blast fired, I got my answer….

End chapter 5

A/N: well I really hope you enjoyed and once again thank you so much CAPTAINQUIRK1701 for all your help!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

My name is Tom Leighton and by now I am definitely 10 years 9 months and 4 days old.

JT was perhaps the most stupid and brave person I had ever met. A man already at the age of twelve. Willing to take a phaser shot for the children under his protection. And he almost did take the shot. It happened so fast.

We where fleeing for our lives. I had just reached the trees when suddenly JT bolted past me heading back towards the following guards. I didn't think, I just turned around to follow him but stopped in my tracks; without their guide, the other children also froze and looked around, staring at the approaching guards in the utmost terror.

The guards pointed their phasers at JT, but they never got the chance to fire. With a flying leap J.T. tackled the silvery haired man from earlier to the ground. After that it was a blur. J.T. some how managed to get the phaser from the man and fired at the surrounding guards who were so distracted at trying to get a clear shot of J.T. that they seemed to have forgotten the near eighty kids standing between the trees. Four out of the ten guards dropped like flies, including the silvery haired man J.T. had been wrestling with.

"Don't move!" J.T. screamed, pointing the stolen phaser at the rest of the guards, with the promised threat of destruction if anyone disobeyed ringing so clear I was sure even the youngest amongst us understood and froze even though I felt sure J.T.'s threat hadn't applied to us. The guards did as told and held perfectly still despite the fact that their six phasers to J.T.'s one was no competition. They knew by the blaze in J.T.'s eyes and the twitchy trigger finger that at least one more guard would be killed before they could shoot J.T. and none of them seemed willing to be that one.

Slowly J.T. began to back up towards us, his eyes flickering between the guards searching for just that one betraying move that would seal the deal on one of their lives.

"Tom," J.T. said as he drew up beside me, "Take the kids home. Wide loop around the city; I'll be at back for a bit."

His eyes never flickered in my direction as he gave me his orders and he held the phaser as if he'd been born with it in his hands. With blue eyes blazing silver in the midnight light J.T. didn't look like a twelve-year-old boy right then…. oh no he looked exactly how I used to picture a Starfleet captain before all this mess. His chin rose to meet the adults' eyes head on with defiance shimmering in his normally calm eyes like the surface of a puddle disturbed by a falling leaf. His stance was proud and protective as he stood front of those whom he'd never met, ready to take on the world to get them out of there.

For a second I could do nothing but stare at the boy next to me, feeling admiration bubble in my stomach. This was exactly the kind of person I wanted to be when I grew up. Proud, and strong just like J.T.

That second was broken by J.T. growling my name.

"Tom dang it get to the front of the group and move!" He ordered. And then in lower voice he whispered, "Take them straightforward I'll be around in a bit to change the direction."

With a nod I turned around and quickly pushed my way forward until I was in front of the group whispering now and then to follow me. Relieved that someone was guiding them again, the kids fell in to step behind me as I moved quickly keeping my eye open for danger.

And that's when I heard it. Two shot so close together that they almost overlapped.

My heart skipped a beat and vision of J.T.'s body laying on the ground flashed through my mind as the kids surged forward in a panic. And then the loud crash of two trees falling. I couldn't help myself; as the kids pushed past me I turned around to see what was going on. J.T. was tearing towards us, phaser still in hand. The two fallen trees behind him blocked the most direct path between us and the guards.

"Everybody follow me!" J.T. shouted over the ruckus of kids screaming and guards cursing. Reaching down, J.T. scooped up the nearest kid next to him and made a fast turn towards me.

His fingers clasped my arm and were dragging me forward before all the movement had even registered in my brain. The other kids, in a blind panic, did the only thing they could: they listened to orders. Following J.T. as he made sharp turns left and right, I could here the guards crashing around behind us.

This is impossible, I thought. We're too big of a group to lose them.

J.T. apparently had the same idea and as a small grimace crossed his face, the ever-growing fear in my stomach turned chilly as cold dread seeped into my bones.

That's it we're dead, I thought wondering to myself what Kelsey would do without me.

Almost as if sensing my thoughts, J.T. eyes flickered to mine. The eye contact only lasted a millisecond, but that was all I need to see the raw determination in J.T.'s eyes. And suddenly, despite the chaos around me, despite the guards behind us, I found myself reassured.

J.T. was going to get us out of this or he was going to die trying; but no matter what, he would probably take down the rest of the guards too.

After that I didn't have time to think as I was jerked sharply to the right and suddenly found myself thrown into wide ditch.

"Stay silent," I heard J.T. hiss and then suddenly found my arms full of the little boy that J.T. had been carrying. J.T. quickly herded the rest of the children down after me.

I knew there wasn't enough time to get everyone down here though and I was right.

We barely had ten kids in the ditch before the guards broke through the trees, their phasers charged and ready to fire.

I closed my eyes not wanting to see another massacre and felt the kids that J.T. had been able to get out of sight tremble and press into me seeking comfort I wasn't able to give. Terror cut through me and I tremble myself as images of the square and basement flashed through my mind.

All the blood and bodies, the screams of the unjustly condemned rang in my ears as I waited, not even sure where the memories ended and reality began. Seven rapid-fire shots rang out and I felt little hands clench at my shirt.

Then it was quiet.

I waited for what seemed like forever, but with the blood pounding in my ears and the memories circling in my head, I never realized that no more then seven shots had been fired. Until I felt a gentle hand shaking my shoulder.

"Tom," J.T. whispered beside me, "open you eyes Tom. It's over. The guards are gone."

Slowly I opened my eye and shakily glanced over at J.T. His eyes met mine in a calm reassurance.

For the second time that night a choked sob forced its way out of my throat as I flung my arms around J.T.'s neck and collapsed against him, crying.

For a bit I wasn't sure if any of this was real. I didn't know if the comforting shushes and lyrics of some song I'd never heard before being whispered into my ears were real. I didn't know if the gentle arms rocking me back and forth like mom use to do after a nightmare were real. I didn't know if any of this was real anymore. Things had happened too quick and I was left with the dizzying remains of my once happy life and wondering if I would even make it through tonight alive.

Eventually though, reality sunk in.

I was still alive…. J.T. was still alive, and my left hand resting on J.T.'s shoulder was wet and sticky.

Without thinking I pulled back from J.T. with a sniffle and glanced at my hand. Even in the silver light given off from the nearly full moon, there was no mistaken the dark liquid that covered my hand. For a second all I could do was gape, before my gaze instinctively fell on J.T.'s shoulder.

"You're hurt," I somehow managed to choke out as fear once again roared its ugly head and thoughts of J.T. dying pushed out all other thoughts.

J.T.'s eyes shifted and looked over at his shoulder with a grimace.

"Jerk got in a lucky hit. Don't worry though it's not deep and I've had worse." J.T. reassured.

And for a second all I could do was stare at J.T. like he was crazy. The guy had been shot and he was saying he'd had worse. I opened my mouth to protest but when I caught J.T.'s eyes, I stopped.

There were shadows flickering through his deep blue gaze shadows that warned me now was not the time to ask how J.T. could have possibly had worse injuries. All at once I remembered the little bit of J.T.'s past he had told me.

Had that really only been last night?

Either way I doubted J.T. really wanted to talk about that right now, so instead I turned my attention away from his bloody shoulder and shadowed eyes.

It was at that moment that I realized all the other kids had also made their way down into the ditch where J.T. had hidden as many of us as he could before the guards had shown up.

No one but J.T. looked harmed.

"How is everyone alive," I whispered my emotion wavering between disbelief and giddy relief.

A pained and dark look crossed J.T.'s face.

"I shot the guards before they could shoot us," J.T. whispered, his voice monotonous, and his face going blank, everything but his eyes utterly emotionless. His eye's whispered his regret of the necessity of people having to die and the anguish of having to be the one to pull the trigger. It was clear J.T. didn't like killing but it was also clear that if put into a similar situation he would not have done it any differently.

I nodded to show I understood and glanced around at all the people we had managed to get out. A few of them I actually recognized; there were kids my age and some so much younger. They all sat in the ditch huddle together various looks of terror, shock, and grief on each of their faces.

Nobody seemed older then J.T. but maybe that was because at that moment they all looked so young and scared while J.T. moved like a parent away from me to go and comfort the youngest of children. I watched as he went to each of the rescued children one by one and slowly got them relax.

It was nearly dawn when J.T. stopped making rounds and told me we need to get back to the cave and that there was probably already more guards looking for those that escaped. I nodded and stood up. After a couple moments of dizziness I managed to gain at least enough strength to put one foot in front of the other as J.T. led us through the ditch saying it connected to an area not far from where the cave was.

It was still hours though before we managed to find our way back and by that time J.T. was once again holding the same little boy that he'd picked up when we where running.

The kid seemed to be the youngest out of this group, only four, and it was apparent that the sickly looking kid just didn't have the strength to make it back on his own.

It was a relief to all of us when J.T. finally stopped and handed me the little guy so he could climb out of the ditch and then reached down to start pulling us out. After we were all out of the ditch, it was just another turn around the thick group of trees to see the mouth of the cave.

The second my eye caught sight of it I ran… my only thought now was making sure my sister was still safely inside. When I got in there I was relieved to see her curled up near Kevin, asleep. She didn't wake until J.T. and the others started walking in behind me. I watched her sit up and rub the sleep out of her eyes and then watched as said eyes widened when she saw how many people we were coming in with. I laughed in relief as I ran to her and dropped to my knees to hug her.

"Oh Kelsey you have no idea how glad I am to see you," I heard myself whisper in a slightly hysterical laugh. At this she turned a curious gaze on me instead of the kids.

"Tommy who are all these people?" she asked looking slightly frightened.

"Just kids that need a place to stay, Kelly," J.T. answered before I could, as he sat the boy he'd been carrying almost the entire way on the ground next to Kevin. The kid was out cold.

And honestly it looked like the others weren't far behind him as each of them found the most comfortable piece of ground they could, as far away from the cave entrance as possible and seemed to just curl into themselves and pass out one by one from pure exhaustion.

I could sympathize with that. I felt tired enough to just sleep for the next decade, but J.T. was still bleeding. His shoulder injury had to have been aggravated when he had pulled all the kids out of the ditch. And he probably needed some help fixing that up.

And almost as if my thoughts had drawn her attention to it, Kelsey suddenly exclaimed, "J.T. your hurt!" before bouncing out of my arms to grab J.T.'s shoulder and examine it closer. Her sudden exclamation had caused several kids nearby to sit up in startled alarm, clearly still a little nervous from the event of the previous night.

"It's okay guys," J.T. whispered gently, "you're safe here; go back to sleep."

They gave him doubtful looks, but slowly lay back down to go back to sleep.

"Kelsey, I'm fine, it's just a scratch," J.T. gave her a reassuring grin before patting her head. She didn't look convinced and leaned over and gently pressed her lips to tattered remains of the shoulder of J.T.'s black t-shirt.

"There," Kelsey grinned looking satisfied with herself, "A kiss to make it feel better!"

I raised an eyebrow at her before turning to look at J.T. just in time to catch the choked up, touched, and incredibly surprised look that flashed quickly across his face.

"Thank you Kelsey," J.T. rasped, voice husky and sort of strangled. "It does feel better now."

Kelsey beamed at him as if he'd just given her the greatest of gifts by saying that.

J.T. returned the grin. "You know I've never had someone kiss my booboo before. I've thought people were crazy when they said that they healed all wounds. Thanks for proving me wrong," J.T. said, tweaking Kelsey's nose.

At that however Kelsey frowned. "You've never had someone kiss your booboos before? But what about your mommy? Didn't she pick you up and kiss your scraped knee or scratched hand?" she asked puzzled.

J.T. froze, what he had inadvertently revealed just now registering.

Clearing his throat, J.T. just plastered a grin onto his face. "My mommy was a little bit different then yours Kelly."

Kelsey didn't seem satisfied though and crossed her arms determinedly over her tiny chest.

"Well that is just wrong of her but don't worry J.T., when you get a booboo I'll kiss it to make it feel better!" Kelsey stated matter-of-factly.

J.T. chuckled and reached over to smooth her hair down. "Thanks Kelly, that's very nice of you."

"Tom," He said suddenly turning his attention to me from where I'd been watching, "get some sleep; god knows you're still recovering. Sleep and a decent meal will be able to help with that, and seeing as it looks like a meal might be unlikely for the next few hours, it's a good idea for us to do what we can."

I cleared my throat, "Uh, J.T. aren't you going to need some help with your shoulder?" I whispered, half because it probably wouldn't do Kelsey any good to know her magic kiss probably hadn't helped at all, and half because my voice didn't seem capable of producing anything louder than a whisper right now.

"No, like I said Tom, I've had worse and have treated worse; this won't be a big deal, I'll just boil some water clean the cut and use the ripped pieces of my shirt to bandage it until I can get my hands on some gauze or better yet a dermal regenerator." J.T. whispered back, his eyes tracking Kelsey's movements so she wouldn't accidentally overhear us.

"Are you sure I can't help? It probably isn't a good to be moving your shoulder too much." I protested, even as I found myself already lying down and my eyes dropping closed from the weight of exhaustion.

I barely heard J.T. snort off his sarcastic comment that he couldn't be moving it anymore boiling water then when he was pulling everyone out of the ditch. If I hadn't fallen asleep at that moment, I might have reminded him he had restarted the bleeding by pulling everyone out of said ditch.

As it was though I simply passed out. It was only a couple minutes later when I found myself being dragged back to consciousness. There was a sticky feeling through the cave and it was silent enough that I could hear the crackle of a fire and the bubbling of water. I turned my head towards the sound and with some effort opened my eyes to see who had started a fire when it was midday in the middle of summer. When I saw J.T. crouching next to the beat up old pot, which J.T. had told me he'd stolen along with the medical supplies needed to fix my face, I was reminded of what had happened last night.

The pot sat balanced precariously on a couple of rocks that J.T. had set in the middle of the fire pit a small bit of space between each rock that aloud the fire to creep its way in between the cracks to warm the pot.

I watched him add a little bit of Tarsus natural salt to the pot and stirred it with the bent fork we had been using the day before to eat tuna with; by this time I was starting to feel a little confused. Was he cooking? While else would he need salt? Then J.T. let out a long-suffering sigh, which caused shivers to crawl down my spine. That was the sigh of someone who was about to do something they really didn't enjoy.

J.T. glanced around as if to make sure no one was watching him and I felt a little guilty when he didn't notice me. I also briefly wondered where Kelsey was but guessed that J.T. probably knew, and that he wouldn't just be sitting there if she were in danger.

Then to my surprise J.T. pulled of his shirt. What I saw almost made me gasp, which would have given me away, since it was silent enough that even a the quietest sound would carry.

Along with the dried blood that had been running down both sides of J.T.'s body from his injury, there was also a littering of scars that stood out in sharp contrast with the rest of the his pale skin, and dang I knew J.T. was skinny, but even I still had enough meat on my bones that not all of my ribs where jutting out. Each of J.T.'s were clearly visible. What had this kid been through? With dermal regenerators, scars where rare enough that it took a very serious accident to leave even a faint trace, so the only way to have that many scars and still be alive… either the incidents had been so severe that, even with modern medicine, it had still left a trace, or he had never had the injuries treated.

That, along with his overly thin body was yet another sign that this kid had not had the loving family Kelsey and I did. I watched in silent horror as J.T. picked up a weird shaped rock that had an almost bowl like quality to it and put it to the boiling hot salt mixture he had just made. I couldn't believe my eye when J.T. brought the bowl-rock up with one hand and with barely a sign  
of hesitation dumped it right onto to the still slightly bleeding wound. I nearly yelled out in horror for him to stop, especially when I saw his facial expression twist itself into to a look of silent agony, and heard the small gasp of pain. But I found I couldn't get my throat to make any sound at all.

I watched as J.T. dumped the hot water over his skin again and again. It seemed like an eternity before J.T. finally stopped torturing himself, and when that was finished he reached for his shirt and ripped both sleeves off. He then proceeded to rip both down one seam, and tied them together. Then, with an awkward movement, he tried to tie the ripped pieces around his  
shoulder. I watched him try and fail a few times before I couldn't take it anymore and stood up. J.T. didn't even jump at my sudden movement and it made me question if he'd known I'd been watching the entire time.

I waited a moment for a slight dizzy spell to pass, before making my way over to where J.T. had frozen in his attempt to tie together his homemade bandage. Without saying a word I knelt down beside him reached for the two ends of tattered shirt; in a couple of seconds I had tied it as tight as possible against J.T. shoulder. I sat back on my heels and watched J.T. just sitting  
there staring determinedly at the ground. He hadn't spoken a word while I was tying his bandages, hadn't even glanced once at me. A heavy sigh escaped my lips.

"J.T.," I rasped, "What are we going to do now?"

For a long while there was only silence and for the first time, I was sure J.T. wasn't going to answer me. I unconsciously found myself leaning around to look into J.T.'s eyes, unknowingly seeking the comfort I had begun to associate with his gaze. And then a sigh of his own erupted from his lips and his blood-shot, exhausted, blue eyes finally met mine. Even puffy and red, his  
eyes still shone with the determination of a natural survivor, and strength most would kill for. It was the biggest relief and the most chilling feeling when I finally caught his eyes.

"Simple, we find food…I'll give these guys a day to recover and then tomorrow night I'm going to pick five of the biggest of them and we're going to go out to the eastern part of town where all the big shots are, and steal as much food as we can…if they're anything like my uncle's house was, they have plenty they can spare," J.T. whispered, sitting back on his heels and giving a one shouldered shrug, "we'll also pick up any and every first aid kit we can get our hands on, and any medication we can find… extra blankets, if we're lucky, pillows and maybe even some soap and bathing supplies… maybe even board games for the younger children to play. But those will come after the things we really need and right now, food and medical supplies are at the top of the list."

I could do nothing but gap at the older boy for a several of minutes, unable to believe how nonchalantly he was talking about this.

"J.T. that doesn't sound simple at all!" I choked out before I could stop myself. I had unfortunately spoken a little more loudly then I probably should have in a cave, and as a result my voice bounced around for a couple of seconds causing some of the other kids to stir, but thankfully, no one woke up.

"Shh," J.T. hushed finger snapping up to cover his lips in the universal sign to be quiet.

"I know it doesn't sound easy Tom, but there really isn't another option: the fungus makes it impossible to grow anything, and the animals around here won't be any fatter then you or I."

It was at that moment when J.T. seemed to remember that he was still shirtless and he quickly remedied that, pulling on his now sleeveless shirt.

My eyes flickered down and caught one last sight of pale scared skin before the fabric once again covered it from view. I didn't think it was possible for anything to be as skinny as J.T.

My gaze caught J.T.'s, and for the first time in what felt like forever, the intense fear that had taken up residence in my life was absent.

"I'll keep everyone safe Tom, I promise," J.T. whispered…. and I believed him. His eyes were too sincere and to determined for me to do anything but believe that J.T. would keep us safe.

We sat in silence for a while, until the exhaustion began to creep back up on me. My eye's dropped closed and a giant yawn overpowered me.

I heard J.T. chuckle. "Get some sleep Tom. I'll keep watch tonight," he whispered gently, putting his hand on my shoulder and leaning me back against the wall of the cavern.

Relieved to finally be able to get some sort of sleep, I just nodded. After a couple of seconds, a smoky smell filled the cave, letting me know that J.T. had extinguished the fire.

My last thought before I passed out was 'I promise J.T., you won't have to take care of us alone. I'll be there with you through everything. That's how I'll pay you back for what you've done for Kelsey and me'.

The only promise I ever broke was my promise to make sure J.T. never did anything alone while trying to take care of us. But in the end, he was the only one strong enough to do what would need to be done in the near future to make sure everyone survived.

A/N: well here it is sorry for the long wait guys... but i did finally get the edited verson of this up so if the grammar and spelling mistakes are whats keeping you from enjoying this story please check out the verson. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and i can't wait to here from you all again! I've missed writing so much and it feels good to be back! as always R&R!


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

My name is Tom Leighton and I'm 10 years 9 months 3 weeks and 2 days old.

It's been almost three full weeks since J.T. rescued nearly eighty kids from their basement prison where they had been awaiting a death sentence they had done nothing to deserve.

Three weeks since eighty kids became orphans… four weeks since Kelsey and I had become orphans.

Three weeks, and for the first time in months things are, if not good, then at least okay.

J.T. was a master of sneaking around and in the first night had managed to break into seven houses before they had so much that not even their stolen wheel barrels could carry it all.

J.T. had even managed to grab along with a good amount of food, eight first aid kits, - three of which had fully charged dermal regenerators in them – twelve blankets, five pillows, and even six board games!

With careful portioning, J.T. made sure that for the next few days all of us went to bed with, while not full stomachs, at least not complaining.

Unfortunately, after the first night when everyone had found out about the robberies, it became too dangerous to sneak into town. So dangerous that for the next four trips, J.T. went by himself. That in turn meant that not as much was gathered and our food supply soon began to dwindle.

That also meant that J.T. stepped up and started teaching us a few things…like how to slink through the shadows with out being noticed.

He taught that to even the younger kids.

He also began to teach most of the older ones a few fighting skills and, using the stolen phaser, he also taught some of us how to shoot.

For some reason he always included me in the fight lessons.

That hadn't gone over very well.

After the first lesson in which I got my butt handed to me because my opponent - a boy about a year younger then me, with pale skin, long pale blonde hair tied up in a low pony tail and very light pink eyes named Jackson - came at me from my blind spot and all but broke my ribs with a kick J.T. had been teaching us, it dawned on me that I wouldn't be much help in trying to provide for our group and that I'd probably only be a hindrance on missions.

My feelings weren't helped any when I overheard one of the older kids, an eleven year old boy named Ashton, whisper that he "didn't understand why J.T. was even bothering to train a one eyed klutz that would probably get them all killed first mission that he ever went on."

After that, I tried my hardest to avoid the fight lessons and got angry when J.T. tried to force me to join them.

I successfully avoided the next two lessons by purposefully taking too long to fetch water from a nearby stream, but after that J.T. ordered me to join the group.

I blew up. "You're not my father, you have no right to order me about!" I shouted, to everyone's surprise. "What, you think just because you brought us here, where we're just going to die slowly, that you can order us around like a bunch of performing monkeys? Did it ever occur to you that I just can't learn to fight?!" By now I was in J.T.'s face, the feeling of inadequacy coming to a head and forcing me to get angry at the one person that was pressuring me to do something I knew I couldn't. "I mean, seriously, have you not noticed that I'm just no good at it?! Take a good long look, J.T. Do you not see the missing eye? You know full well that I won't be any help in a fight, so how about you just stop bugging me and making me feel worse about myself by pressuring me to do something that I can't!"

"Tommy!" A voice whispered from the gathering crowd around us and a small hand touched my arm.

"Get off me!" I shouted forcefully, ripping my arm from the person's light grip.

A small body collided with my back before bouncing off, the force of my pull having dragged the person clean off their feet.

I turned around quickly to see Kelsey sitting where she'd fallen at the front of the gathered kids. Her green eyes widened and sparkled with tears, her lips trembling.

"Kelsey…" I trailed off taking a couple steps towards my baby sister, my hand instinctively coming up to reach out for her.

She got up quickly turned and ran.

That's when it dawned on me what I had just done… everything I had just said. I didn't think…I didn't run after my sister… I didn't look at the glaring faces of all the people around me…. I didn't glance to where J.T. stood his face a mask of disapproval…I just ran.

I turned on my heel and sprinted for the mouth of the cave, trying to ignore the way the kids around me parted like I had some kind of vile disease, and if I touched them they would be infected as well. I ran for what felt like forever.

And soon found myself sitting at the edge of the creek, that we had been getting water from, sobbing into my knees.

The ragged sobs shook my thin frame so much that it hurt, and my chest clinched as it tried to pull in and hold a decent breath.

Hurting inside and out…. it felt like everything hit me just then. The tears I'd been holding back for my sister's sake about our parent's death, the grief of no longer having one of my eyes and becoming basically useless… it hadn't left my mind that I had been the one to almost get us caught the night we broke everyone out, the fear of everything that was going on…. the worry of how long we would have to live like this… everything chose that moment to come rushing back.

I didn't hear the footsteps approach, and barely even noticed when two arms wrapped around me, pulling me into a thin chest and holding me close. Never did the quieting shushes make their way to my ears.

It was a song that finally brought a bit of calm to me.

_"How the hell did we wind up like this  
Why weren't we able  
Too see the signs that we missed  
And try to turn the tables"_

I didn't know this song…

_"I wish you'd unclench your fists  
And unpack your suitcase  
Lately there's been too much of this  
Don't think its too late_

_"Nothin's wrong_  
_just as long as_  
_you know that someday I will_

_"Someday, somehow_  
_gonna make it all right but not right now_  
_I know you're wondering when_  
_(You're the only one who knows that)_  
_Someday, somehow_  
_gonna make it all right but not right now_  
_I know you're wondering when"_

And if I was honest, the voice singing wasn't the best right now – cracking with a prepubescent squeak. But at the same time, it carried the melody as if it had been born to do it, and left little doubt that when older it would be a nice voice. And by some miracle, listening to it whisper the fitting lyrics, I began to feel myself calm down.

_"Well I hoped that since we're here anyway  
We could end up saying  
Things we've always needed to say  
So we could end up stringing  
Now the story's played out like this  
Just like a paperback novel  
Lets rewrite an ending that fits  
Instead of a Hollywood horror"_

A Hollywood horror…. didn't that just fit what we are going through to a T. Any other time, I would have snorted at the irony of that sentence; as it was now, I just buried my head into his shoulder, and tried my hardest not to start crying again.

_"Nothin's wrong  
just as long as  
you know that someday I will_

_Someday, somehow_  
_gonna make it all right but not right now_  
_I know you're wondering when_  
_(You're the only one who knows that)_  
_Someday, somehow_  
_gonna make it all right but not right now_  
_I know you're wondering when_  
_(You're the only one who knows that)"_

Impossibly, the voice softened until it was just the barest of whispers, and I became convinced that only I could hear it and nothing in the world was able to share the comfort of this melody…. this was my song… my comfort… and the only thing I had left to call mine besides my sister and the clothes on my back…nobody could hear it because it was mine and only mine to hear.

That also meant that I was the only one to hear the melody turn sorrowful and the voice become filled with all the emotions that just minutes before had been strangling the life out me.

_"How the hell did we wind up like this"_

How did it come to this? I asked myself that same question. How did my life go from happy with two wonderful parents and a bouncy little sister, to being orphans and wondering whether or not we would live to see the next day?

_"Why weren't we able  
Too see the signs that we missed  
And try to turn the tables"_

Why didn't I take heed of dad's warning that people grew violent and desperate when their lives were on the line? I remembered dad's nervousness that day at the square… I had noticed the unnecessary amount of guards; why didn't I get them out of there? Why didn't I do what J.T. had that night, breaking the children out of the basement? Why hadn't I turned the tables and stolen a phaser and taken the guards down instead of running?

_"Now the stories played out like this"_

Yeah, this was how the story had played out: me alone, trying to take care of my little sister. Only me… left half blind and tripping over my own feet on the best of days.

_"Just like a paperback novel  
Lets rewrite an ending that fits  
Instead of a Hollywood horror"  
_  
Rewrite an ending that fits? Boy, did that sound good. If I could rewrite the ending, my dad would have been the one to find a cure for the fungus He would have become famous and we all would have been moved to the second biggest house in the eastern district of town. And then later, without even running, my dad would have been elected Governor of Tarsus IV by a landslide. We would then be moved into the biggest house of the eastern distract… the Governor's mansion! And my mom and sister would be draped in pearls and diamonds, and treated like the queen and princess they always were. And there would never have been a famine or a bloody massacre… and then one day on my way to school in my big white stretch hover limo, I would look out the window dressed in the latest fashion and see _her_ walking along the sidewalk.

Her long, beautiful, brownish red hair would shimmer in bright sun light of a late winters day, naturally tight curls cascading down her back.

She'd be shivering and holding her books tight to her chest… I would ask the hover limo driver to pull over.

I would ask her if she wanted a ride and because it's cold outside, she would naturally say yes in a heartbeat, and I would get out in the cold just to hold the door for her like a perfect gentlemen.

We would ride to school laughing and talking and getting to know each other…I would finally have the best friend I always wanted. And then in time, I would grow up and follow in my dad's footsteps to become a scientist. I'd already be famous for my dad's work with the fungus, but I would make a name for myself by creating the next biggest thing in space travel. Maybe a compacted oxygen pill. You'd just take it, and then you could go in to space without the burden of a space suit and be able to breath for long periods of time.

That was the ending that fit, not this harsh reality.

_"Nothing's wrong."_

Everything was wrong.

_"Just as long as  
you know that someday I will_

"_Someday, somehow_  
_gonna make it all right but not right now"_

Why not right now?

_"I know you're wondering when,"_

For the first time, I glanced up to see who belonged to that voice that was fast becoming my only comfort.

I wasn't shocked to find myself looking into a pair of the deepest and brightest blue eyes I had ever seen.

J.T. was looking down at me with a sad and understanding gaze as he briefly tightened his hold on me again in a gesture of comfort.

Guilt struck me.

_"(You're the only one who knows that)  
Someday, somehow  
gonna make it all right but not right now  
I know you're wondering when  
(You're the only one who knows that)  
I know you're wondering when  
(You're the only one who knows that)  
I know you're wondering when"_

I wasn't in this alone. Hadn't this blue-eyed boy been with me every step of the way? Hadn't he done more for both my sister and me then he should be capable of? Two years wasn't a big gap and yet that small age difference had never seemed so insurmountable.

And this boy…this man in front of me was doing something that no other twelve year old had ever done before.

He was protecting eighty kids by putting his life on the line every other night to get as much food as possible just to feed them. He was the thinnest of all of us, but he rarely ate anything himself unless he believed some could be spared.

And in the three weeks since all this had happened, I'd only seen the kid sleep maybe four times. And I'm not talking an hour power nap; I mean, he had honestly only fallen into a good deep and solid sleep four times in the past three weeks, and I was pretty sure that was just because he'd simply passed out from exhaustion.

Two years: not that big of a gap, and yet here I was blubbering like a baby into his shoulder and thinking of the way things should have been. It also didn't take long for me to remember that in my fantasy of what should have been…. there had been no J.T.

Guilt struck further into my heart. This kid had done everything imaginable for me, and I hadn't even given him his own happy ending in my fantasy…and I still had the nerve to ask him why he wouldn't make it all right, right now. What was wrong with me?

"Tom." J.T.'s voice broke the silence that had settled around us since he'd stopped singing. "You want to tell me what that was all about back there?"

I felt tears once again burn in my eyes, but pushed them back. I had had enough of wallowing in self-pity.

"J.T., I'm sorry about what I said back there, everything just caught up with me all of a sudden. I know that's no excuse for what I said…or what I did to Kelly. But with everything that's happened and then on top of that realizing I won't be any help whatsoever in trying to get us out of this mess, I just felt overwhelmed," I whispered shamefully, staring down at the barren soil we sat on.

"Tom, we're all overwhelmed by what's happening. Every single one of us. But what on earth makes you feel like you can't be of any help in trying to survive?" J.T. whispered back reaching over to hook his finger under my chin and tilting my head up until I was looking him in the eye. It was so reminiscent of what my dad use to do when I was this upset that I had to shove more tears away.

"J.T. I'm partially blind now; I can't see a thing from my left side. That means if anyone wants to over power me they just have to come at me from that side and I'll never even see them. You saw how Jackson almost broke my ribs when you first tried teaching me. I never saw that kick coming because it wasn't in my view. And… I'm not you; J.T., I'm not graceful enough to slink through the shadows like you do, because I'm blind completely in the dark… I was even before I got shot. I'm also by far the clumsiest person you'll ever meet, which means that I can't do all that dancing around to keep them in view that you do," I groaned, feeling the emotions welling back up. "And it's bad enough knowing that myself, but to hear someone confirming it was more then I could handle."

"What?" J.T. all but growled.

I jumped in surprise and fear; I had never heard J.T. make a sound like that. It reminded me of a wild animal. My eye locked with his, I could almost see sparks flying

"What do you mean what?" I squeaked in shock.

It took a second, but J.T. took a shuddering breath and finally his flaming blue eyes returned to their normal calm depth.

"Who confirmed your thoughts about not being good enough to help out?" J.T. asked, tone a little more clipped then normal.

I hesitated, feeling like a little kid about to rat out someone to their parents.

"No one J.T.," I glanced away again to stare at the gentle flowing water beneath us, "They didn't mean anything by it."

There was a tense silence for the next several minutes before J.T. let out a deep sigh of someone giving up.

"All right if you don't want to say who, I won't pressure you," he stated, "However… Tom, you got to have a bit of confidence…that was your first lesson. None of you were perfect, and yes I'll admit you have a few more obstacles to overcome then the other kids…"

At this I winced, but at J.T.'s sharp look, I managed to keep myself from feeling even more dejected then I already did.

"But with time you'll get better…a couple of lessons and you will start to notice a little less clumsiness. And moving through the dark isn't only a sight thing: sound plays a big part in it as well… but if it helps, you can get used to moving through the dark as easily as if you had born into it. And I'll be right there beside you the entire time Tom, you won't get us caught as long as I'm around, and in a few months, you won't get us caught whether I'm there or not. But for now, I need you to trust that I'm going to teach you what you need to know. Okay?'

I felt myself choke up again, so all I could do was nod.

"Good," J.T. sighed, "now lets get back to the cave. Because mister, you have some major apologizing to do to your sister, and I need to set up the team that's going with me tonight. We're too low on food, so we need to try and score more then I can get myself. Thankfully it's a new moon tonight, which means it will be a little easier to get into town."

I nodded again, and when J.T. stood up, I took his outstretched hand; he pulled me up and we began to make our way back to our temporary shelter.

It was almost sunset by the time we walked back in, and the first thing my eye landed on was Kelsey curled up next to Kevin, whose head was buried in the shoulder of a girl about a year older then me. The girl was actually one of the few I knew in this group. Her name was Raine, a half human, half Empathrainian, a race that can sense the emotion in other beings, and empathize with them. She had long, dark purple hair – in most of her race, it was normally straight, but she had inherited her father's wavy and thick bodied hair – moonlight pale skin, human shaped eyes that had the Empathrainian color changing ability that changed depending on the person closet to them's emotions, or who ever was feeling the strongest emotions. On normal days, her eyes were a deep maroon color that indicated neutrality, or that nobody around her was really feeling any strong emotion at that moment, but right now they shimmered a glistening orange color that meant someone near her was feeling deeply upset. It didn't take much to guess who that someone was.

Seeing that color was a sign of someone who was truly miserable. I found myself at Kelsey's side before the meaning had even settled into my brain.

"Kelsey," I groaned pulling her out of Raine's grasp and into a tight hug, "Kelsey, I am so, so sorry. I didn't mean to do what I did. I'm so sorry."

She struggled for a second to get out of my grasp but then the fight left her and she began sobbing into my shoulder. Probably the exact picture of what I must have looked like earlier crying into J.T.'s shoulder.

With out thinking, I began to hum the few lines of the song that I could remember.

It took a while but eventually, her sobs began to subside into soft sniffles.

"Tommy, you hurt me," Kelsey whimpered and a pain unlike anything I had felt before pierced my heart.

_What have I done_, I thought to myself, my grip unconsciously tightening on my sister.

"I know Kelsey, and I'm so sorry; I didn't mean to, and I swear I will never do it again. Oh goodness, Kelsey I'm so sorry," I choked holding her as close to me as I could.

_How could I have ever done that to her…how? I'm supposed to be protecting_ _her._

Tears burned in my eye for what must have been the hundredth time that day.

"Kelsey I'm so sorry. I'm a horrible big brother and I'm sorry; please Kelly, please forgive me," I whispered.

For a beat there was nothing but silence.

I could feel the eyes of every one in the cave watching us, but I couldn't bring myself to care.

"You're not a horrible bother Tommy…you're the best big brother in the world, and I do forgive you," Kelsey whispered, and suddenly she was hugging me back.

Relief flooded through me and I squeezed her as tight as I possibly could.

"Thank you Kelly, that means more to me then you'll ever know, and I promise, it won't happen again," I whispered into her ear.

We stayed like that for a few minutes, not noticing that J.T. sent everyone back to what they where doing with one sharp look.

When we did finally pull back, I gave Kelsey a small smile and ruffled her hair. She grinned back and swatted my hand away, before moving off to join a game of apples to apples with a few other kids.

Unconsciously, I glanced back over to Raine, and was surprised to see her looking at me. Her eyes had gone from their glistening orange color to a pale blue that if I remembered right meant contentment was in the air.

She met my gaze and gave a small nod as if telling me my hunch was right and a look of approval crossed her face before she turned and went to talk to someone else.

"Hey everyone, listen up! Can I get your attention for a second please," J.T.'s voice suddenly sounded through the cave.

Almost immediately, the chatter died down and the games stopped.

This wasn't unusual as J.T. often made announcements before going off on a mission.

"It recently came to my attention that there has been some bad mouthing of other kids in this group." J.T.'s stern voice echoed through the cave and I felt myself stiffen at his words…he was seriously bringing this up now?

"To whomever is bad mouthing someone: - you know who you are and I only have one thing to say to you: grow up. We're not in school anymore and as much as we all would like to pretend otherwise, we are in a dangerous situation that we're only going to get through safely by depending on each other. We need to trust each other and get along. I know it's impossible for us to like everyone in a group this big, but guess what: you're going to have to learn to tolerate each other real fast, or you're going to get us all killed. And yeah, I'm telling you this to scare you a bit, but that doesn't make it any less true. Work together; if you see someone that needs help in some areas, you bring it to me and I'll worry about it…. you do not go gossiping about it like you're on some lousy soup opera. Do you understand?"

J.T. glanced around with a harsh gaze, taking in every nodding head, not missing a single detail.

"Good… everyone in this cave, from the youngest to the oldest, is important. We are all in this together and we are all going to be useful, despite what some may think, in getting out of this mess. So if you have looked at any one in this room and thought that they're only going to get us killed, they're so young, so clumsy, so small, so different… well then, you're wrong, and one day your life may very well depend on that person. Respect each other if nothing else. That's all I ask." J.T.'s authoritative voice left no room for argument, and once again everyone nodded.

I gulped and glanced around; almost immediately my eyes fell upon Ashton. He was looking at me, his gaze contemplative and…apologetic. He didn't notice I had seen him looking but that was all right, because for the first time in and long time I felt the urge to smile.

"All right, now on to other matters," J.T. said, glancing around at everyone. "I need the following people to meet me at the front of the cave in five minutes. We need to get food tonight, and I can't carry it all. Bring the wheelbarrows. Raine, T'Entreia, Joe, Spencer, and Tom. You guys are with me tonight." He waited for us to nod and walk towards the back of the cave where we kept the wheel barrels before continuing on.

"Ashton, you're in charge while we're gone. I showed you yesterday how to portion out the remaining food: feed every one by ten, younger ones go to bed as soon as they're done eating, and the older ones can go to bed later if they wish, but assign no less then four people to keep watch. I'd prefer it be people ten or over, but nobody younger then nine sits watch and they have to have someone older with them at all times. Got it?"

"Understood, J.T.," Ashton nodded with a small smile. "Be careful out there tonight."

"We will be. Thanks," J.T. smiled back.

By this time, we had all gathered at the mouth of the cave. Joe, Spencer, T'Entreia, and I handled the wheelbarrows as Raine shifted uncomfortably, once again asking us if any of us needed help.

She had always been like this, hating when she didn't have something to do while everyone else was working.

"Relax Raine," Spencer whispered, a small fond smile pulling at the corner of his lips, "has anyone ever told you you're too nice? I think Joe, Tom, and I are strong enough guys to handle an empty wheelbarrow and T'Entreia is a Vulcan so she could probably pick all four of these things up fully load in one hand."

T'Entreia's voice echoed around us in a monotone from where she stood at the far end of the group, back against the wall and eyes on J.T. as he made his way over. "That would be a logical assumption if I was fully grown and in the best of health. However, because I am still only a child and severally malnourished, I believe I would only be able to hold two wheelbarrows, and I would very much have to use both arms, and only one could be full."

A grin pulled at J.T.'s lips as he overheard that last comment.

"Don't sell yourself short, T'Entreia," J.T. joked as he reached over to take the wheelbarrow from her.

"What an illogical comment J.T.; I do not believe I understand it, how can one 'sell themselves short', and indeed why would they wish to sell themselves at all?" She asked, her gaze locked with J.T.'s, and her head slightly cocked inquisitively – and probably unconsciously – to one side. The Vulcan picture of confusion though the rest of her face and body language remained as stiff and neutral as normal.

J.T. grinned and winked.

"I'll explain it to you later; right now, it's time to get down to business," he said, straightening and becoming the picture of seriousness.

"Let's get going," he whispered, moving out of the cave and almost immediately disappearing into the shadows.

One by one we all did the same: Raine following first, then Spencer, and Joe.

I was just about to follow when I turned around in time to catch something that stopped me in my tracks. It had been brief and out of the corner of my eye, but I knew what I had seen: the lightest hint of green coloring T'Entreia cheeks.

I didn't have time to ponder on this though, as I fell into the shadows, trying my hardest to keep up and not trip or get lost, since I couldn't see anything.

It was a lost cause from the start though, and before long Raine, sensing my fear of getting separated, dropped back to stand beside me. She traded a glance with T'Entreia, and with a silent nod, T'Entreia took the wheelbarrow from me, and Raine grabbed my hand to guide me through the shadows.

We stayed like that, quietly moving through the shadows, for what must have been two hours, Raine holding onto my hand and guiding me around things in my path that I couldn't see. J.T. determinedly led us forward, glancing back every couple of minutes to make sure everyone was still doing well. He, Spencer, Joe, and T'Entreia pushed their wheelbarrows as quietly as they could around trees and other obstacles. But soon, the glow of street lamps became visible and J.T. stopped.

"Leave three of the wheelbarrow here," he whispered,. "If we get caught, they'll only slow us down, and if we have to leave quickly, at least we can still sneak back here and pick them up again. When the first wheelbarrow gets full, we'll send someone back with it to pick up another one. Everyone is to be completely silent: there will be no talking from this point on. Don't get too excited, and try and grab only the necessities. We don't want to have too much weighting us down. Do you understand?"

Tension began to fill the air as each of us stared J.T. in the eyes and nodded.

"Good then. Let's get to work," he whispered, and turned to walk towards the town, his hands grasped tightly on the wheelbarrow.

End Chapter 7

A/N: and heres chapter 7! don't worry the song was just a one time thing...whe writing this story i some how always end up listening to nickleback particulaly the afore mentioned song and it just seemed fitting to put it into atleast one chapter. i hope you all enjoyed this and i hope i can get chapter 8 posted soon. to be honest i about had the chapter done when my flash drive decided to wipe itself clean and i had yet to transfer my work on to my computer and a back up flash drive. again i hope you enjoyed and i can't wait to hear from you! R&R


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